Teacher of the Year in Muscogee County School District will be one of these 3 finalists
The Muscogee County School District 2025 Teacher of the Year will be one of these three finalists:
- Eretha Hamilton, Double Churches Middle School, sixth-grade science
- Charles Repass, Jordan Vocational High School, special education
- Amanda Zarate, Wynnton Arts Academy, theater.
The Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation, which conducts MCSD’s Teacher of the Year program, announced the finalists Tuesday by making surprise visits to their classrooms.
Faculty and staff at MCSD’s 54 schools nominated a teacher, announced in January, to represent their school as a candidate for this award. MEEF’s selection committee, comprising community leaders, read the applications to determine the 10 semifinalists, announced in March.
The committee interviewed the semifinalists to choose three finalists. The winner will be announced during MEEF’s annual gala, May 1 in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center, starting with a 6 p.m. reception then followed by the dinner and program at 6:45 p.m. The $55 tickets are on sale at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts box office.
MEEF’s 2025 Teacher of the Year selection committee members are:
- Josh Reynolds (chairman) of TSYS/Global Payments
- Vanessa Ellis, MCSD 2022 Teacher of the Year
- Michael Graydon of Synovus
- Sheryl Green, MCSD 2015 Teacher of the Year
- John Dale Hester of Columbus United FC
- Marquette McKnight of Media, Marketing and More
- Tasha Morman, MCSD 2023 Teacher of the Year
- John Pezold of Whit’s Frozen Custard
- Gina Smith of Keller Williams
- Ty Webb of W.C. Bradley Company.
“The passion and purpose these teachers bring to the classroom is nothing short of inspiring,” Reynolds said in MEEF’s news release. “This isn’t just a profession for them — it’s a mission. They go above and beyond every single day to ignite learning, connect with students and support one another. Their energy, heart and dedication are what make education in our community truly exceptional.”
MEEF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering educational excellence by helping teachers who are innovative and exceptionally effective in the public schools of Columbus. Since it was established 29 years ago, the foundation has awarded more than $3.3 million to such educators through financial incentives in the Teacher of the Year program, the MEEF Grant program, the MEEF Endowment Fund and the Harvard Fellows program.
MCSD Teacher of the Year semifinalists are eligible to apply to be one of MEEF’s Harvard Fellows, an all-expenses-paid week of professional development at the Ivy League school.
Eretha Hamilton
Hamilton told the Ledger-Enquirer the announcement surprised her so much that “you can blow me over with a feather right now. I’m just shocked. I’m excited. I’m proud. … I really love my students this year, … and so just to have this experience with them, it just feels amazing.”
A native of Atlanta, Hamilton earned her teaching degree at Columbus State University. She has taught for six years, including one year at Baker Middle School.
“I am a teacher because I love kids,” she said, “… and I felt like the most influential I could be to kids is in a classroom setting.”
Hamilton appreciates the way MEEF honors teachers.
“Not everybody gets to be celebrated when they do a good job, and so it just feels really nice,” she said. “… I feel amazing and blessed to be doing what I feel like is my purpose.”
Charles Repass
Repass told the Ledger-Enquirer he feels “very honored and humbled” for being selected as a finalist.
After growing up in Moultrie, Repass became a teacher nine years ago in a nontraditional way: through the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy program.
GaTAPP allows people who earned a college degree in a major outside of education to switch careers and obtain their teacher certification without going back to college.
Repass received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He interned in a state probation office and planned to eventually seek employment with the GBI or FBI, but working at a camp for children with special needs inspired him to pursue teaching.
“I felt a real call to work with kids with disabilities,” he said. “… It fit like a glove, working with those individuals with different disabilities and just kind of seeing the growth just in the week that I had them. … Giving them experiences that typically developing kids wouldn’t experience was just really touching.”
Repass is thankful someone with his background and teaching special education is among the finalists.
“I’m in a program that maybe isn’t always seen just because we do tend to kind of do our own thing,” he said. “… So it’s nice to know that this program is getting some attention and getting some recognition.”
Amanda Zarate
Zarate told the Ledger-Enquirer she is “grateful to be where I am, teaching the population of students that I have and the leadership that we have. … They’re just so encouraging with all of the things and ideas that I’ve had. So I can’t thank them enough and be grateful enough for that and the community of teachers that I have found here.”
Originally from Illinois, Zarate is in her eighth year as a teacher, all at Wynnton. She came to Columbus as a soldier in the U.S. Army when she was stationed at Fort Benning.
Zarate earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbus State University. She is in a doctoral program there. It’s a big change from working as a tank mechanic in the Army, where she was a specialist when she left after four years of service.
Initially thinking she would become a theater performer, Zarate decided to become a theater teacher so she could have more stable working hours to be more available for her son.
Zarate first wanted to teach in a high school, but she now enjoys “all the hugs” her K-5 students give her.
“I didn’t realize the amount of love and attention that the students at this level needed,” she said.
Zarate cherishes her career’s journey.
“I think I’m still going,” she said. “I just feel grateful to be able to share my ideas and to help teachers feel heard, help students feel heard. … There are so many grownups that don’t know how to communicate. If I could help kids at this age feel like they can communicate better with their thoughts, their emotions, their ideas, then I’ve done something.”
This story was originally published April 8, 2025 at 11:08 AM.
