Contact: Dean Jackson
Office of Public Information
Phone: 770.254.2736
Fax: 770.254.2757

Press Release
Coweta County Schools

Date: May 11, 2007

Coweta schools elect 2007 Teachers of the Year

The three finalists for the 2007 Coweta County Teacher of the Year have been chosen. They are:

Wendy Arnold, Special Education Teacher, Northgate High School

Clay Hildebrand, Sixth Grade Math Teacher, Smokey Road Middle School

Dr. Carol Turner, Technology Teacher, Lee Middle School

Coweta County’s 2006 Teachers of the Year chose the three finalists for 2007 TOTY from among 29 Teachers of the Year, who represent each of Coweta County’s 29 public schools. Teachers of the Year will be recognized at the Tuesday, May 22 Coweta County Teacher of the Year Program, which the Board of Education presents annually with the Newnan Pilot Club.

The 2007 Teacher of the Year will be chosen from among the three finalists by an independent three-judge panel. The 2007 TOTY will be announced at the May 22 ceremony, and will also serve as a candidate for Georgia Teacher of the Year. Poplar Road Kindergarten Teacher Terri Buckland was announced as the 2006 Teacher of the Year at last year’s program.

The 2007 Teachers of the Year (TOTYs) from each school are:

From elementary schools: Kristi Lange, Second Grade Teacher (Arbor Springs); Mickey Bailey, EIP Teacher (Arnco-Sargent); Cindy Clough, Physical Education Teacher (Atkinson); Marilyn Shaw, Fifth Grade Teacher (Canongate); Amy Hudson, REACH Teacher (Eastside); Jo Nase, Instructional Technology Teacher (Elm Street); Heather Reaves, Fifth Grade Teacher (Jefferson Parkway); Tammy Ayers, First Grade Teacher (Grantville); Dollie Evans, Fifth Grade Teacher (Moreland); Jessica Little, Kindergarten Teacher (Newnan Crossing); Pam Barbaree, Special Education Teacher (Northside); Betsy Desch, Third Grade Teacher (Poplar Road); Colette Peaks, Second Grade Teacher (Ruth Hill); Glinette McMurray, Third Grade Teacher (Thomas Crossroads); Susan Cline-Arguilla, Second Grade Teacher (Western); Ken Chambless, Physical Education Teacher (Welch); April Young, Second Grade Teacher (White Oak); Vicky Williams, Music Teacher (Willis Road.).

From middle schools: Mabel Williamson, Special Education Teacher (Arnall Middle School); Jodi Brooks, Sixth Grade Math Teacher (East Coweta Middle School); Debbie Cook, Special Education Teacher (Evans Middle School); Dr. Carol Turner, Technology Teacher (Lee Middle School); Carolynn Pierce, Special Education Teacher (Madras Middle School); Clay Hildebrand, Sixth Grade Math Teacher (Smokey Road Middle School).

From high schools: Gayle Owen, HealthCare Science Teacher (Central Educational Center); Adrienne Elder, English Teacher (East Coweta High School); Bunti Britt, English Teacher (Newnan High School); Wendy Arnold, Special Education Teacher (Northgate High School); Rebecca Bowman, Middle Grades Math and Science Teacher (Winston Dowdell Academy).

Teachers of the Year are selected by their peers for the quality of their teaching, professional development, teaching philosophy and methods, community involvement, and contributions to education.

The May 22 Coweta Teacher of the Year event will be held at the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts on Lower Fayetteville Road in Newnan.

The Coweta County School System is the only school system in Georgia with three state teachers of the year, including Lorraine Johnson, Nancy Royal and Jamie Lipscomb. There have also been twelve Georgia TOTY semi-finalists from Coweta since 1986.
 

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