A fifth of top 10 finalists for 2018 Georgia Teacher of the Year come to a Cobb County school every morning to teach.
A panel of judges will review the qualifications of Susan Donlin, a Marietta Middle School teacher, and Paulette Allard, at Harrison High School, over the next several weeks, interview the teachers and listen to speeches by them and the other finalists from 150 districts.
Allard teaches honors biology and forensic science. When she started at Harrison 13 years ago, it was the beginning of her third career.
A former U.S. Army nurse and genetics researcher, the district said she brings real-world experience.
“She is so innovative. She integrates technology, and she does a great job of making connections with her students in her science class,” said Principal Ashlynn Campbell. “She has a constant connection to the modern world, which is so important.”
And students enjoy it, too.
“Her classroom is different every day. I never know what to expect,” Whitney, a senior in Allard’s forensics science class, told the district.
Donlin, the Marietta teacher, told the district that she discovered her passion for teaching those with intellectual disabilities at 16 years old volunteering with Red Cross.
She has a bachelor's degree in K-12 Special Education and Mental Retardations and has been with Marietta schools since 2005.
"I am not surprised that Susan Donlin is one of the top ten," new Marietta superintendent Grant Rivera said in a news release.
That’s probably because she was the 2016-2017 Marietta City Schools Teacher of the Year.
“She cares for her students in an extraordinary way and ensures that her classroom environment is a place for them to feel confident and safe,” Rivera said.
The Georgia Department of Education will announce the state winner on June 12. The state winner will also be entered into the National Teacher of the Year competition.
Watch Rivera and his wife radio host Jenn Hobby try to talk to the AJC about Mother’s Day:
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