Finalists for Georgia teacher of the year include two from Gwinnett

The 10 recently announced finalists for Georgia teacher of the year include teachers at North Gwinnett and Buford High Schools in Gwinnett County.

One of the finalists, Rebecca Carlisle, is an advanced placement world history and humanities teacher at North Gwinnett.

“Mrs. Carlisle’s energy in the classroom and as a school and community leader makes her stand out,” Gwinnett County Public Schools Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks said in a news release. “Not only is she an outstanding teacher of students, she also excels at sharing her knowledge and experience with her peers.”

Another finalist, Maggie Pruitt, teaches special education at Buford High.

“I am going to keep working hard, loving others and doing my best to support my students,” Pruitt said in a news release from Buford City Schools.

Each school district’s teacher of the year in Georgia is eligible for the statewide award. A panel of judges including past Georgia Teachers of the Year, administrators and community leaders reviewed applications and chose finalists based on the strength of their essays.

“This is a group of creative, hardworking, talented teachers who pushed through great challenges this year to ensure students were still able to learn, connect, and grow,” State Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods said when he announced the finalists. “I am proud to call each of them my colleagues.”

The other finalists are:

• Natasha Nicole Berry of Valdosta City Schools
• Tewanna L. Brown of Carroll County Schools
• Cherie Bonder Dennis of Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools
• Shanika Nichole Freeman of Griffin-Spalding County Schools
• Catherine Nichole Hampton of Gordon County Schools
• Michelle Mickens of Wilkes County Schools
• Jennifer Hawthorne Smith of Twiggs County Schools
• Matthew Ellis Taylor of Laurens County Schools

They were selected from the cohort of teachers that school districts chose in late 2019 for the state to recognize last year. The state paused the Georgia teacher of the year program last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A panel of judges will interview all the finalists, who will give virtual speeches. The winner will be announced Aug. 7.

The winning teacher will travel around the state and nation as an ambassador for the teaching profession and will be entered in the National Teacher of the Year competition.