Anita Puckett Named DeKalb County Teacher of the Year

An eighth grade teacher at DeKalb Middle School was named “DeKalb County Teacher of the Year” Monday night during the seventh annual Teacher of the Year banquet at the Elizabeth Chapel Baptist Church.
Anita Puckett received the honor and a check for $150 from Liberty State Bank, the sponsor of the banquet. The presentation was made by Director of Schools Mark Willoughby and Roy Nelson Pugh of Liberty State Bank.
Puckett was among five local educators who were recognized during the banquet for being chosen by peers as “Teacher of the Year” at their schools. The others were LeVaughnda Midgett, a kindergarten teacher at Smithville Elementary School; Kathryn Wisinger, an ESL(English as a Second Language) teacher at DeKalb Middle and DCHS grades 6-12; Elizabeth Nolt, a fourth grade educator at Northside Elementary School; and Tammy Payne, a sixth grade teacher at DeKalb West School.
Every year DeKalb County participates in the Tennessee Teacher of the Year program. Each school picks a Teacher of the Year from their school who is in the running for honors at the county and regional level. Teachers are selected in the categories of Pre-K through 4th grade, 5th through 8th grade, and 9th through 12th grade. The overall Teacher of the Year from DeKalb County is selected from among the five teachers of the year at the school level.
Principals and assistant principals introduced the Teachers of the Year at their schools and remarked on how they deserved the honor.
(Top Photo: Director of Schools Mark Willoughby, DeKalb Teacher of the Year Anita Puckett of DeKalb Middle School, Assistant DMS Principal Amanda Dakas, and Roy Nelson Pugh of Liberty State Bank)
(Bottom Photo: Smithville Elementary Principal Julie Vincent, SES Teacher of the Year LeVaughnda Midgett, DeKalb West Principal Danny Parkerson, DWS Teacher of the Year Tammy Payne, Director of Schools Mark Willoughby, Northside Elementary Principal Gayle Redmon, Northside Teacher of the Year Elizabeth Nolt, Roy Nelson Pugh of Liberty State Bank, DCHS Teacher of the Year Kathryn Wisinger, DCHS Principal Patrick Cripps, DeKalb County Teacher of the Year and DeKalb Middle School Teacher of the Year Anita Puckett, and Assistant DMS Principal Amanda Dakas)