MEDIA CONTACT: Meghan Frick, GaDOE
Communications Office, 404-463-4246,mfrick@doe.k12.ga.us
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conversation around Georgia Teacher of the Year with #GATOTY and #GATOTY20.
Media
representatives – reply to this email if you need a photo of one or more of the
Georgia Teacher of the Year finalists.
April
15, 2019 – State School Superintendent Richard Woods today announced
the 10 finalists for 2020 Georgia Teacher of the Year.
The
finalists were chosen from a pool of applicants all previously selected as
their school district’s Teacher of the Year. The applications were read by a
panel of judges that included teachers, past Georgia Teacher of the Year
winners, administrators, community leaders and others. The finalists were
chosen based on the strength of their essay responses.
“The
ten 2020 finalists for Georgia Teacher of the Year are an exceptional group of
educators and I’m proud to call them my colleagues,” State School
Superintendent Richard Woods said. “Each one of them exemplifies what a teacher
should be – caring, skilled, knowledgeable and intellectually curious, and
first and foremost, laser-focused on the well-being, potential and success of
their students.”
Finalists
will meet with a panel of judges for a formal interview and give speeches
during a finalist luncheon today. The winner will be announced Saturday, May 18, 2019.
The
2020 Georgia Teacher of the Year will travel around the state and the nation,
serving as an ambassador for the teaching profession in Georgia. He or she will
also be entered in the National Teacher of the Year competition.
The
2019 Georgia Teacher of the Year is Allison
Townsend, a third-grade teacher at Barnwell Elementary School.
Click
here to learn more about the Georgia Teacher of the Year program.
Georgia
Teacher of the Year Finalists*
Kristen
Applebee, Georgia Academy for the Blind, State Schools
Amy
Arnold, Colham Ferry Elementary School, Oconee County Schools
Dr.
David Bishop Collins, Fernbank Science Center, DeKalb County Schools
Carlos
Hernandez, General Ray Davis Middle School, Rockdale County Schools
Lewis
Kelly, Newton High School, Newton County Schools
Tracey
Nance Pendley, Burgess Peterson Academy, Atlanta Public Schools
Stephanie
Peterson, Westside Elementary School, Lowndes County Schools
Kiana
Pinckney, Palmetto Elementary School, Fulton County Schools
Teresa
Thompson, South Tattnall Middle School, Tattnall County Schools
Francisco
“Frank” Zamora, Johnson High School, Hall County Schools
*Recipients
are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
