The 2020 Teacher of the Year in Muscogee County will be one of these 10 semifinalists
The 2020 Teacher of the Year in the Muscogee County School District will be one of these 10 semifinalists:
- Sicily Coleman, Reese Road Leadership Academy, math and science, third grade
- Lisa Elliott, River Road Elementary School, kindergarten
- Rachel Fahnestock, Aaron Cohn Middle School, math, grades 7-8
- Michele Gore, Dorothy Height Elementary School, kindergarten
- Jamie Hagan, Double Churches Elementary School, third grade
- Lara Allan Lasseter, Clubview Elementary School, second grade
- Tammy McBee, Mathews Elementary School, math, fourth grade
- Karlyn McConnell, Columbus High School, science, grades 9-12
- Chelsie Rogers, Northside High School, economics and AP Human Geography, grades 10 and 12
- Lisa Seegar, Britt David Magnet Academy, science, fifth grade
The Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation, which conducts MCSD’s Teacher of the Year program, announced the semifinalists Thursday. They were selected from the applications of the 56 nominees, one from each MCSD school and designated by the school’s staff. The nominees were announced last month.
Retired educator Tom Hackett, formerly Columbus State University provost and superintendent of Phenix City Schools, is chairman of this year’s selection committee. Other members are:
- Carl Brown, insurance broker, owner of C. Brown & Associates
- Bridget Downs, assistant dean for community outreach at CSU
- Rita Ellis, managing partner at Key 2 Wall Street
- Spencer Garrard, retired CSU education professor
- Melanie Gouine, 2018 MCSD Teacher of the Year
- Donovan Granville, district manager for Social Security Administration
- Sheryl Green, 2015 MCSD Teacher of the Year
- Shane Larkin, 2017 MCSD Teacher of the Year
- Bridget Markwood, education consultant
- Marquette McKnight, CEO of Media, Marketing and More, executive director of MEEF
- Ty Webb, water resource engineer at Barge Design Solutions.
The semifinalists showed in their applications two common factors that helped them stand out among the nominees, Hackett told the Ledger-Enquirer: They evaluate their students and themselves based on data from tests and other assessments to change their instruction, and they enthusiastically express their passion for teaching.
Data is as important for a teacher as game film is for a coach, Hackett said. Then he made another analogy to explain why it matters.
“It’s such a strong component of accountability,” he said. “If you’re not looking at data, it’s like flying in the dark with no instruments. … In any kind of human performance, you want to get just a little bit better each day. And the only way to get better is to look at what’s happening and look at your desired outcome and see where you are on that path and make adjustments.”
MCSD’s Teacher of the Year not only is expected to motivate students to learn but also to be a spokesperson for public education. So that passion must come through their answers to the essay questions in the applications, Hackett said.
“These teachers really articulated that,” he said. “They were excited about teaching kids, and they weren’t in any way daunted by the challenges that are out there.”
The selection committee will interview the semifinalists Feb. 26-27, then choose three finalists to observe teaching in their classrooms. The winner will be announced May 7, during the foundation’s annual gala in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center.
Thirty-one of the 56 nominees and seven of the 10 semifinalists graduated from MCSD, according to the foundation’s news release.
MEEF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering educational excellence by focusing on teachers who are innovative and exceptionally effective. In its 24-year history, the foundation has awarded more than $2.6 million to such educators through the Teacher of the Year and Harvard Fellows programs and other grants.
The MCSD Teacher of the Year semifinalists are eligible to become a Harvard Fellow. Since 2012, the foundation has paid for the expenses to send 7-9 MCSD teachers to Harvard University each summer for a week of professional development. This year’s group was announced last week.
IF YOU GO
What: Muscogee County School District 2020 Teacher of the Year gala.
When: May 7, 6 p.m. reception, 6:45 p.m. dinner, followed by announcement of the winner.
Where: Columbus Convention & Trade Center ballroom, 801 Front Ave.
Tickets: $50, on sale starting March 21 at RiverCenter for the Performing Arts box office, 900 Broadway.
This story was originally published February 20, 2020 at 12:44 PM.
