Gwinnett Communities Celebrate their Teachers of the Year

Communities across Gwinnett County are celebrating their best teachers
 as each Gwinnett school names its Teacher of the Year (TOTY), the first
step in the district’s search for its 2013 Gwinnett County Public Schools
(GCPS) Teacher of the Year. Selected by their colleagues at their local
schools, these dedicated educators are known for challenging and motivating
their students to reach their full learning potential.

“Being selected at the local level means that other individuals in the
profession recognize the instructional expertise and communal value the
local TOTY brings to their school,” says Nikki Mouton, Gwinnett’s executive
director of staff development. “This is an opportunity to highlight the
attention to excellence the entire school has as their TOTY represents the
phenomenal instruction and professionalism taking place throughout their
building.”

The school system annually honors the commitment and devotion of its
teachers during the annual Teacher of the Year recognition process that
takes place each fall. This year’s 131 local school honorees will move into
the next phase of the TOTY process as they are considered for the
systemwide honor. Later this month, this group will be narrowed down to 25
semifinalists. From that group, six finalists will be chosen in
mid-October. The annual Teacher of the Year banquet and the announcement of
this year’s top teacher in Gwinnett County will be held on Thursday, November 1, 2012.

Here’s an overview of the selection process:

Step 1 — All teachers at each participating Gwinnett school nominate and
vote for their local school Teacher of the Year.

Step 2 — The applications for all 131 school-level Teachers of the Year
are screened and 25 semifinalists for the county-level are selected.

Step 3 — The 25 semifinalists’ applications are scored to determine the
six finalists.

Step 4 — A selection committee– made up of teachers, central office
personnel, and administrators– visits the classrooms of the six finalists
and conducts thorough interviews with each educator. The committee looks
for original teaching methods, studies the educator’s teaching philosophy,
considers the influence the teacher has had on the teaching practices of
his/her colleagues, and reviews any special class projects the teacher has
initiated.

Step 5 — From the six finalists, the committee will select a Teacher of
the Year for each level– elementary, middle, and high. One of the level
winners will be recognized as GCPS’ 2013 Teacher of the Year.

2013 Local School Teachers of the Year

Alcova Elementary, KaKeshia Maloney, 4th Grade Teacher
Alford Elementary, Lindsey Reddy, 4th Grade Teacher
Anderson-Livsey Elementary, Amber Russell, Gifted Education Teacher
(Grades K-5)
Annistown Elementary, Dale Grant, Health and Physical Education Teacher
(Grades K-5)
Arcado Elementary, Rachel Bell, 1st Grade Teacher
Archer High, Jennifer Callaway, Social Studies Teacher (Grade 9)
Bay Creek Middle, Collette Tucker, Language Arts Teacher (Grade 6)
Beaver Ridge Elementary, Tracy Pelinsky, 4th Grade Teacher
Benefield Elementary, Patricia Auten, 3rd Grade Teacher
Berkeley Lake Elementary, Dr. Candy Steventon, Special Education Teacher -
Learning Disabilities (Grade 5)
Berkmar High, Lindsay Watson, Language Arts Teacher (Grades 9-12)
Berkmar Middle, Deborah Johnson, Mathematics Teacher (Grade 9)
Bethesda Elementary, Lyndsey Klempay, Mathematics Specialist (Grades K-5)
Britt Elementary, Pam Zuber, 3rd Grade Teacher
Brookwood Elementary, Debbie Taylor, Mathematics Teacher (Grade 5)
Brookwood High, Laura Stanley, Band Teacher (Grades 9-12)
Buice School, Heather Cannon, Special Education Teacher – Early Childhood
Program
Burnette Elementary, Tracie Titshaw Penn, Kindergarten Teacher
Camp Creek Elementary, Ginger Whitley, Special Education Teacher -
Significant Developmental Delays (Grade 1)
Cedar Hill Elementary, Julie Asztalos, 4th Grade Teacher
Centerville Elementary, John Warhol, Physical Education Teacher (Grades
K-5)
Central Gwinnett High, Jennifer Ulbrich, World History Teacher (Grade 10)
Chattahoochee Elementary, Anne-Lise Botting, Special Education Teacher -
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (Grades K-2)
Chesney Elementary, Sarah Boyce, Special Education Teacher – Interrelated
Resource (Grades K-5)
Collins Hill High, Dr. Dora Bell, Mathematics Teacher (Grades 9-12)
Cooper Elementary, Bridgett Brown, 3rd Grade Teacher
Corley Elementary, Michelle Bellamy, 3rd Grade Teacher
Couch Middle, Christy Stephenson, Language Arts Teacher (Grade 8 )
Craig Elementary, Pamela Nunn, 3rd Grade Teacher
Creekland Middle, Megan Nagel, Language Arts Teacher (Grade 6)
Crews Middle, Eleanor Ridley, Social Studies Teacher (Grade 6)
Dacula Elementary, Kim Sutton, Kindergarten Teacher
Dacula High, Abby Peterson, Family and Consumer Science Teacher – Food
Nutrition (Grades 9-12)
Dacula Middle, Celisa Edwards, 7th Grade Teacher
Duluth High, Erica Millette, Mathematics Teacher (Grade 9)
Duluth Middle, Erica Parkman, Science Teacher (Grade 8 )
Duncan Creek Elementary, Cynthia Gomez, Special Education Teacher -
Interrelated Resource (Grades 3 and 5)
Dyer Elementary, Ellen Hill, 5th Grade Teacher
Ferguson Elementary, Elise Moore, Kindergarten Teacher
Five Forks Middle, Dr. John Culligan, Gifted Social Studies Teacher (Grade
8 )
Fort Daniel Elementary, Laura, D., Williams, Special Education Teacher -
Autism Resource (Grades K-5)
Freeman’s Mill Elementary, Suzanne Keller, 4th Grade Teacher
GIVE Center East, LaNadia Pugh, Science Teacher (Grade 9-12)
GIVE Center West, Charles Hawk, Science Teacher (Grades 6-8 )
Grace Snell Middle, Jane McCormick, Mathematics Teacher (Grade 6)
Grayson Elementary, Le Gibson, Music Teacher (Grades K-5)
Grayson High, Dr. Chris Blair, Language Arts Teacher (Grade 9)
Gwin Oaks Elementary, Michelle Webb, 3rd Grade Teacher
Gwinnett County Online Campus – High School, Kristin Sokol, Mathematics
Teacher (Grades 9-12)
Gwinnett County Online Campus – Middle School, Jennifer Cote, Health and
Physical Education Teacher (Grades 6-8 )
Gwinnett School of Science, Mathematics, and Technology, Rachel Buzzerd,
Spanish Teacher (Grades 9-12)
Harbins Elementary, Sharon Mauney, 1st Grade Teacher
Harmony Elementary, Jill McKee, Special Education Teacher – Moderate
Intellectual Disabilities (Grades 2-5)
Harris Elementary, Tracy Evans, Science Teacher (Grades K-5)
Head Elementary, Lindsay Kyle, Speech Language Pathologist (Grades Pre-K-5)
Hopkins Elementary, Megan Carney, Special Education Teacher – Interrelated
Resource (Grades 1 and 2)
Hull Middle, Shenee Holloway, Language Arts Teacher (Grade 8 )
Ivy Creek Elementary, Dr. Patricia Baxter, 3rd Grade Teacher
Jackson Elementary, Brittany Spence, Special Education Teacher -
Interrelated Resource (Grades K-5)
Jenkins Elementary, Kristel Green, 5th Grade Teacher
Jones Middle, Ashley Saye, Special Education Teacher – Moderate
Intellectual Disabilities – Science (Grades 6-8 )
Kanoheda Elementary, Claudia Davila, 2nd Grade Teacher
Knight Elementary, Gretchen Stelten, Art Teacher (Grades K-5)
Lanier High, Naomi Kirchner, Language Arts Teacher (Grade 10)
Lanier Middle, Kinsey Edwards, Orchestra Teacher (Grades 6-8 )
Lawrenceville Elementary, Cheri Loy, Special Education and Reading Recovery
Teacher (Grades K-5)
Level Creek Elementary, Katie Turner, 4th Grade Teacher
Lilburn Elementary, Noreen Freeman, 5th Grade Teacher
Lilburn Middle, Eric Sas, English to Speakers of Other Languages Teacher
Lovin Elementary, Amy, B., Lazic, Special Education Teacher (Pre-K)
Magill Elementary, Cynthia Blue, Mathematics Teacher (Grades K-5)
Mason Elementary, Genie Quinn, 3rd Grade Teacher
Maxwell High School of Technology, Debbie Grant, Culinary Arts Teacher
(Grades 9-12)
McConnell Middle, Monica Maragh, Language Arts Teacher (Grade 7)
McKendree Elementary, Paul Lovett, 3rd Grade Teacher
Meadowcreek Elementary, Jennifer Kim, Early Intervention Program Support
Teacher (Grade 5)
Meadowcreek High, Marieta Hamilton, Language Arts Teacher (Grade 10)
Mill Creek High, Mike Lasseter, Visual Arts Teacher (Grades 9-12)
Minor Elementary, Charlotte Taylor, 1st Grade Teacher
Monarch School, Beth Albright, Early Childhood Program Teacher (Pre-K)
Moore Middle, Chasiree Stone, Mathematics Teacher (Grade 6)
Mountain Park Elementary, Katie Malone, 1st Grade Teacher
Mountain View High, Steve White, Social Studies Teacher (Grades 9-12)
Mulberry Elementary, Kym Crosby, Art Teacher (Grades K-5)
Nesbit Elementary, Tanya Saucier, Science Specialist (Grades K-5)
Norcross Elementary, Jackie Petree, Science Instructional Coach (Grades
K-5)
Norcross High, James Nebel, World History Teacher (Grade 10)
North Gwinnett High, McCall Grosso, Language Arts Teacher (Grade 10)
North Gwinnett Middle, Ashley Rihner, Special Education Teacher – Severe
and Profound Intellectual Disabilities (Grades 6-8 )
Norton Elementary, Mary Ann Zudekoff, Special Education Teacher -
Interrelated Resource (Grade 5)
Oakland Meadow, Dr. Sue LaFave, Vision Impairment Teacher (Pre-K-Age 22)
Osborne Middle, Heather Brent, Social Studies Teacher (Grade 7)
Parkview High, Eric M. Brown, Social Studies Teacher (Grades 9-12)
Parsons Elementary, Sue French, 4th Grade Teacher
Partee Elementary, Erin Breland, Music Teacher (Grades K-5)
Patrick Elementary, Donita McClelland, 2nd Grade Teacher
Peachtree Elementary, Dorothy Swindle, Local School Technology Coordinator
Peachtree Ridge High, Dean Landers, Physics Teacher (Grades 11 and 12)
Pharr Elementary, Darika Stevens, Art Teacher (Grades K-5)
Phoenix High, William McKenzie, Mathematics Teacher (Grades 9-12)
Pinckneyville Middle, Roland Ventura, Band Teacher (Grades 6-8 )
Puckett’s Mill Elementary, Mallory Brock, Music Teacher (Grades K-5)
Radloff Middle, Mauri Bolden, Special Education Teacher – Severe Autism
(Grades 6-8 )
Richards Middle, Heidi Mikulecky, Language Arts Teacher (Grade 6)
Riverside Elementary, Lynne Franks, 3rd Grade Teacher
Roberts Elementary, Peggy Vanover, Special Education Teacher – Moderate
Autism (Grades K-2)
Rock Springs Elementary, Margaret Byrne, Kindergarten Teacher
Rockbridge Elementary, Kimberly Farmer, Mathematics Coach (Grades K-5)
Rosebud Elementary, Carol Bowman, Art Teacher (Grades K-5)
Shiloh Elementary, Autumn Ginn, Music Teacher (Grades K-5)
Shiloh High, Nancy Chrisman, Special Education Teacher – Mild Intellectual
Disabilities (Grades 9-12)
Shiloh Middle, Roya Sadri, English to Speakers of Other Languages Teacher -
Language Arts (Grades 6-8 )
Simonton Elementary, Phoebe Jones, 5th Grade Teacher
Simpson Elementary, Jose J. Rivera, Spanish Teacher (Grades K-5)
Snellville Middle, Heather Switzer, Science Teacher (Grade 6)
South Gwinnett High, Andie McDaniel, Special Education Teacher – Mild
Intellectual Disabilities (Grades 9-12)
Starling Elementary, Jessica Douglas, Science and Social Studies Teacher
(Grade 5)
Stripling Elementary, Nikole Akande, 5th Grade Teacher
Sugar Hill Elementary, Dr. Crystal Langley, 2nd Grade Teacher
Summerour Middle, Casey Pete, Mathematics Teacher (Grade 7)
Suwanee Elementary, Patti Barry, Special Education Teacher – Interrelated
Resource (Grades K-5)
Sweetwater Middle, Anthony Cafarella, Social Studies Teacher (Grade 7)
Sycamore Elementary, Emily Acevedo, 1st Grade Teacher
Taylor Elementary, Pam Wiggins, Mathematics Teacher (Grades 3 and 4)
Trickum Middle, Michelle Bushell, Language Arts Teacher (Grade 6)
Trip Elementary, Nicole Esswein, Reading, Writing, and Social Studies
Teacher (Grade 5)
Twin Rivers Middle, Dr. Nelly Knowles, Mathematics Teacher (Grade 6)
Walnut Grove Elementary, Erica Leach, Mathematics Specialist (Grades K-5)
White Oak Elementary, Matt Smith, 4th Grade Teacher
Winn Holt Elementary, Erin Hogan, 1st Grade Teacher
Woodward Mill Elementary, Petra Hammond, Mathematics Teacher (Grades K-5)

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