DeKalb County School System Names Teachers of the Year

The DeKalb County School System has announced it’s “Teachers of the Year” at the building level of the five schools in the county.
This year’s honoree are Amanda Rhoady, a first grade teacher at Smithville Elementary School; Sandy Willingham, a third grade educator at Northside Elementary School; Tammy Payne, a fourth grade teacher at DeKalb West School; Suzette Barnes, a seventh grade educator at DeKalb Middle School; and Joey Reeder, a History teacher at DeKalb County High School.
Lisa Cripps, Supervisor of Instruction for 7th through 12th grades said “Again this year, we’re going to participate in the Teacher of the Year program, which begins on the school level, moves to the system level, the regional level, and finally to the state level,” she said.
Competition for system-wide and regional levels will continue throughout February. Should these teachers win at the regional level, they will represent DeKalb County at the state level in March.
The Tennessee Teacher of the Year Program is designed to promote recognition, respect and appreciation for teachers; to stimulate interest in teaching as a career; and to encourage public involvement in education.
This program is sponsored annually by the Tennessee Department of Education and the Niswonger Foundation.
The Tennessee Teacher of the Year represents Tennessee at the National Teacher of the Year competition, which is sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers and Scholastic, Inc.
Teachers of the Year are selected competitively through five cycles: Building, System, Field Service Center Region, Grand Division and State; and from three categories (levels of teaching); Grades Pre K-4, 5-8, 9-12.
Teachers selected at each cycle receive local recognition and awards underwritten by local sources. State recognition/awards include a banquet honoring the nine State Teacher of the Year finalists and certificates of appreciation from the Governor. In addition, the State Finalists and the State Teacher of the Year receive cash awards from the Niswonger Foundation.