So far this spring, the district and GCPS staff members have earned state, regional, and national recognition. In case you missed the good news, here are the latest kudos. Congratulations to you all!
Best Community for Music Education: GCPS continues to be honored as one of the Best Communities for Music Education in the country! For 2018, 583 school districts and 135 schools across the nation were recognized by The National Association of Music Merchants. GCPS is proud to be a consistent recipient of this recognition.
Leadership in Language: Dr. Jon Valentine is this year’s winner of the 2018 SCOLT Leadership Award. GCPS’ director of Foreign Language, Dr. Valentine has demonstrated excellence in language teaching through service to the school and community, been an active participant in Southern Conference on Language Teaching, and been a leader and advocate for language instruction.
Kudos for SNP Professional: Once again, excellence in school nutrition program (SNP) operations has earned a GCPS staff member recognition. Ken Yant, SNP director for GCPS, is a 2018 Silver Plate winner, presented by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association.
Coaching Honors: Bill Stewart, who coached the North Gwinnett HS football team to a state title, was a finalist for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award, nominated by the Atlanta Falcons for the honor.
Innovative Teaching Recognition: Chandra Brandel, a Coleman MS teacher, developed a hands-on language arts and STEAM unit to earn Innovation in Teaching recognition from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. The honor came with a $5,000 stipend for Ms. Brandel and a $10,000 grant for the school to support innovative instructional strategies.
Hats Off for Language Arts Instruction: Two GCPS teachers recently were honored as outstanding educators in the field of language arts education. Kyle Jones of Lanier HS and Terri Mylander of Baggett ES are the 2018 GCTE (Georgia Council of Teachers of English) Teacher of the Year winners for the high school and elementary school levels, respectively.
Top (ProStart) Chef: Chef Simone Byron of Meadowcreek HS is the 2018 ProStart Educator of Excellence winner, a recognition bestowed by the Hospitality Education Foundation of Georgia. Chef Byron recently coached her students to a state title in culinary arts.
CTE Administrator Kudos: Dr. Jeff Hall, the principal of Maxwell HS of Technology, is the 2018 Trade and Industrial Educators of Georgia (TIEGA) Administrator of the Year. The award recognizes exceptional contributions to the success of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, serving career fields that Dr. Hall notes “cannot be outsourced, and serve as the backbone of a strong economy.”
Recognition in Computer Science: Committed to seeing more women in the field of computer science, Dr. Leah dee Kilgore, a career and technical education teacher at Berkmar HS, was recently honored. She won the 2018 National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Aspirations in Computing Georgia Affiliate Educator Award for her work in encouraging young women’s aspirations in computing.
An Inspiration: An individual whose commitment, perseverance, and leadership are inspiring to allԵ… That’s how the Latin American Association (LAA) describes the 2018 recipient of LAA’s Inspiration Award, Lynnette Aponte, an outreach specialist at Meadowcreek HS.
In the Running for Georgia TOTY: Last fall, Dr. Doug Doblar of Head ES was honored as GCPS’ Teacher of the Year. Now Dr. Doblar has gotten word that he’s one of 10 finalists for the state honor. The 2019 Georgia Teacher of the Year will be announced May 19.
Two Honored ATL Teachers: Dr. Jennifer Blodgett of Patrick ES and Dr. Amber Simmons of Brookwood HS are the newest members of the Winners’ Circle for the Atlanta Families’ Awards for Excellence in Education. Both educators received a $7,500 award that included funding for a school project ($3,500), professional development ($1,500), and a personal stipend ($2,500).
Watch for more good news in the coming weeks as we bring you up to speed with additional kudos that come our way before the end of the school year.