Teacher of the Year Awards

 The State of Tennessee has a Teacher of the Year program that aims to recognize and honor outstanding teachers across the state, and White County recently announced their school and district level honorees.

“The White County Board of Education is proud of all our educators,” White County Director of Schools Kurt Dronebarger said. “Today, we are especially proud of those who have been selected by their peers and named building-level Teachers of the Year.”

The school honorees, are as follows:

PreK – 4th grade

BonDeCroft  - Ashley Lee

Cassville - Kendra Simmons

Doyle - Donna Clark

Findlay - Nora Mott 

Northfield - Christina Buck

Woodland Park - Lynndorian Swindell

5th grade –8th grade

BonDeCroft - Martisha Hedgecoth

Cassville - Lorie Broyles

Doyle - April Lollar

Findlay - Melissa Eldridge

Northfield - Lacey Price

White County Middle School  - Marsha Jackson

Woodland Park - Joy Templeton

9th grade –12th grade

White County High School - Candice Allen

According to the state’s Department of Education, the purpose of the program is to “applaud teachers who care about children, who devote their professional lives to enriching the lives of Tennessee students, and who demonstrate exceptional gains in student achievement.”

The school level honorees are selected by other teachers in their buildings and, from those, district level honorees are chosen.

“Mrs. Ashley Lee (BDC), Mrs. Marsha Jackson (WCMS), and Mrs. Candice Allen (WCHS) have also been named district-level winners and will represent White County at the regional level,” Dronebarger announced. “In the past five years, White County has had a state finalist for teacher of the year, principal of the year (twice), and superintendent of the year. Rather impressive for a small, rural district, and it speaks to the high caliber of educators we have in White County.”

Regardless of what level a teacher is chosen as honoree, the state program requires that they meet the following criteria:

• have a broad understanding of research-based models for effective teaching and of current trends and is-sues in education,
• be facilitators of learning, skilled in implementing creative teaching strategies,
• be able to show evidence of positive teacher effect over time related to student achievement through for-mal and informal documentation,
• be able to explain, discuss, and defend a personal philosophy of teaching,
• be poised, articulate, enthusiastic, and energetic,
• be exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled,
• have a superior ability to teach and to inspire in students a love of learning,
• be recognized as leaders in the community and in the school,
• show active involvement and leadership in professional development and extra-curricular activities,
• inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn, and
• have the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues.

White County Middle School’s principal, Farrah Griffith, said Marsha Farley, the 5th through 8th grade district honoree and representative at the state level, personifies all of the above qualities each and every day.

“Marsha is a great teacher in the classroom,” Griffith said. “She champions on behalf of her resources students every day.  Marsha also does a great job of coordinating our school-wide homeroom daily activities.  Hard work and love for kids clearly makes Marsha a great asset to WCMS.”

Bon De Croft Elementary School principal Sara Cope said that Ashley Lee, the preK-4^th grade district honoree is an integral part of her school.

"Mrs. Lee has been a great asset to our BonDeCroft family. Her hard work and dedication to our school and students shows in everything she does,” Cope said. “ BonDeCroft Elementary is very lucky to have Mrs. Lee on our team."

Similarly, Principal Greg Wilson, of White County High School, praised Candice Allen, the 9th through 12th grade representative, who began her teaching career as an English teacher seven years ago but five years ago moved on to become the media teacher at WCHS, describing her as hard working, dedicated to her students, and very creative.

“Every production of the Warrior Media program has a touch of Mrs. Allen’s creativity,” Wilson said.” She is a vital part of the WCHS vision to be the best.”

Dronebarger said the entire school board is appreciative of the work that all of the teachers across the district have put in over the past year, as well as the compassion they have displayed through a very different and trying past 12 months.

“The school board would like to congratulate these excellent teachers and thank all district employees for their tremendous effort during this most-difficult educational year,” Dronebarger said.