Gwinnett Schools Names Semifinalists for Teacher of the Year Award

Gwinnett County Public Schools released the names of the semifinalists for the system’s annual Teacher of the Year award.

A committee made up of teachers, central office personnel, and administrators narrowed a list of 131 local Teachers of the Year down to 26 semifinalists — 15 elementary, 5 middle and 6 high school teachers.

See the list below:

Elementary School Level Semifinalists:

• Sara Forrester of Britt Elementary—1st Grade Teacher
• Dr. Sharon Smith of Brookwood Elementary— Gifted Language Arts (Grades 1-2) and EIP Teacher and Literacy Coach
• Jenny Ittner of Chattahoochee Elementary—Gifted and Accelerated Content Teacher (Grades 2 and 5)
• Lindsey Shannon of Ferguson Elementary—Mathematics Instructional Coach (Grades K-5)
• Henry Spivey of Freeman’s Mill Elementary—5th Grade Teacher
• Dr. Kishina Woolfolk of Harbins Elementary—Technology Specialist and Coach (Grades K-5)
• Caroline (Ramey) Raspotnik of Head Elementary—3rd Grade Teacher
• Andrea Dougherty of Jenkins Elementary—3rd Grade Teacher
• Stacy Gossett Head of Lawrenceville Elementary—Special Education Teacher- Interrelated Resource (Grades 1 and 5)
• Stephanie Stry of Lovin Elementary—5th Grade Teacher
• Caroline Whitten of Oakland Meadow School—Literacy Coach (Grades Pre-K to 12)
• Heather Silver of Patrick Elementary—Visual Arts Teacher (Grades K-5)
• Whitney Deal of Puckett’s Mill Elementary—Kindergarten Teacher
• Denise Young of Rock Springs Elementary— Instructional Mathematics Coach and Accelerated Mathematics Teacher (Grades 3-5)
• Stephanie Wallace of White Oak Elementary—1st Grade Teacher

Middle School Level Semifinalists

• Cindy Apley Rose of Couch Middle—Accelerated Algebra and Algebra I (Grade 8)
• Jaclyn D. Boyce of Jones Middle—Special Education Teacher - Mild Intellectual Disabilities (Grades 6-8)
• Shawn L. Coleman of Moore Middle—Science Teacher (Grade 6)
• Marcia Ellington-Lopez of Radloff Middle—Language Arts Teacher (Grade 8)
• Lesley McClendon of Shiloh Middle—Special Education Teacher-Language Arts (Grade 7)

High School Level Semifinalists

• Carrie Dillon Settles of Brookwood High—AP Environmental Science, Physics, and ESOL-Science Teacher
• Johnny Griffin of Central Gwinnett High—U.S. History Teacher (Grade11)
• Randi Hill of Gwinnett Online Campus—Local School Technology Coordinator
• Dr. Colette Grodzicki of North Gwinnett High—Language Arts Teacher (AP and Grade 10) and Speech/Debate Teacher
• Tara Finco of Parkview High—Language Arts Teacher (Grades 11 and 12)
• Nelson Dean of Peachtree Ridge High—Social Studies and Music Teacher (Grades 9-12)

The annual Teacher of the Year banquet will be held Tuesday, November 11, 2014, at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth. Once named, the 2015 Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year will compete to become Georgia’s Teacher of the Year.

(Photo info — Front Row (L to R): Nelson Dean of Peachtree Ridge High, Whitney Deal of Puckett’s Mill Elementary, Denise Young of Rock Springs Elementary, Dr. Kishina Woolfolk of Harbins Elementary, Heather Silver of Patrick Elementary, Stephanie Stry of Lovin Elementary, Lindsey Shannon of Ferguson Elementary, Sara Forrester of Britt Elementary, and Carrie Dillon Settles of Brookwood High. 2nd Row (L to R): Marcia Ellington-Lopez of Radloff Middle, Caroline Whitten of Oakland Meadow School, Caroline (Ramey) Raspotnik of Head Elementary, Henry Spivey of Freeman’s Mill Elementary, Dr. Colette Grodzicki of North Gwinnett High, Stacy Gossett Head of Lawrenceville Elementary, Jaclyn D. Boyce of Jones Middle, and Johnny Griffin of Central Gwinnett High. 3rd Row (L to R): Randi Hill of Gwinnett Online Campus, Lesley McClendon of Shiloh Middle, Stephanie Wallace of White Oak Elementary, Jenny Ittner of Chattahoochee Elementary, Shawn L. Coleman of Moore Middle, Dr. Sharon Smith of Brookwood Elementary, Cindy Apley Rose of Couch Middle, and Andrea Dougherty of Jenkins Elementary. Not included in the photo is Tara Finco of Parkview High.)