Atlanta schools names Barry Blackmon II 2014 Teacher of the Year

B.E.S.T. Academy teacher Barry Blackmon II has been named the 2014-2015 Atlanta Public Schools Teacher of the Year.

Blackmon is a sixth grade English and social studies teacher at the B.E.S.T. Academy at Benjamin S. Carson Middle School.

“I come from a family of educators and I can tell you I tried to run from it, but got caught up in it,” Blackmon said in a written statement. “I love teaching and I believe my mission in education is to ensure that my students are knowledgeable, productive, and responsible contributors of the world.”

The other APS Teacher of the Year finalists are Elementary School Teacher of the Year Kesha Payne and High School Teacher of the Year Jayongela Wilder.

About the Author

Molly Bloom

Lovett School gets ‘historic’ $30 million gift from Rollins family

The gift honors the oldest child of Randall and Peggy Rollins, who died in 1970.

Some Decatur parents feel blindsided by school plans, few details

Aggravation brews over lack of specifics and what some see as poor communication.

Full circle: Sisters who were APS students now serve as APS principals

Sisters Kristy Reese and Kimberly Gibbs spent 12 years in Atlanta Public Schools and now educate others in the same system as school principals.

The Latest

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com

Lovett School gets ‘historic’ $30 million gift from Rollins family

Full circle: Sisters who were APS students now serve as APS principals

Some Decatur parents feel blindsided by school plans, few details

Featured

Credit: Arvin Temkar / AJC

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones scores another victory over use of campaign cash

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones appears to have scored another victory over Attorney General Chris Carr as the Republican gubernatorial candidates battle over campaign finance issues.

Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr.’s season is over; needs surgery to repair ACL

Michael Penix Jr., whom the Falcons hoped was their quarterback of the future, will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a partially torn ACL in his left knee.

Typewriter Tom fuels a growing interest in analog writing devices

Roswell's Tom Rehkopf owns about 1,000 typewriters, which he tinkers with at his workshop and happily shares with fellow aficionados, curious youngsters and even Tom Hanks.