Education
Education

Gwinnett educator named top alternative teacher in state

Karen Vaught, a language arts and ESOL (English as a Second Language) teacher at GIVE Center West in Gwinnett County, has been named the 2019-20 Georgia Alternative Teacher of the Year by the Georgia Association of Alternative Education. PHOTO COURTESY OF GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Karen Vaught, a language arts and ESOL (English as a Second Language) teacher at GIVE Center West in Gwinnett County, has been named the 2019-20 Georgia Alternative Teacher of the Year by the Georgia Association of Alternative Education. PHOTO COURTESY OF GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
By Arlinda Smith Broady
Nov 4, 2019

A Gwinnett County Public Schools teacher has received a state honor for her work in the classroom. Karen Vaught, a language arts and ESOL (English as a Second Language) teacher at GIVE Center West, has been named the 2019-20 Georgia Alternative Teacher of the Year by the Georgia Association of Alternative Education. The distinction is awarded to a teacher who is an exceptional, dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled teacher; inspires students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn; and plays an active and useful role in the community as well as in the school.

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“I was quite honored to be named 2019-20 Georgia Alternative Teacher of the Year by the Georgia Association of Alternative Education,” said Vaught. “As much as the award honors me, it also honors GIVE Center West. At GIVE, teachers are able to meet students where they are and teach them the academic, social, and personal skills they need to become our future leaders of tomorrow.”

Vaught, who has worked at GIVE Center West for five years, is known by her students to be caring, pragmatic, and encouraging. Her class is a safe environment where students feel comfortable and free to advocate for their education. Vaught is a vital part of GIVE West and helps to give students the opportunity to learn and succeed in a nontraditional setting.

About the Author

A Midwesterner by birth, but a Southerner by heritage, Arlinda Smith Broady has a combination of solid values, easy-going charm and unrelenting thirst for knowledge that makes her a not only a dedicated journalist, but a compassionate community member. She seeks truth and justice, but is just as eager to spread good news and share a witty story.

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