Lauren Eckman, an English language arts teacher from the Georgia Academy for the Blind in Macon, has been named the 2013 Georgia Teacher of the Year, the state Department of Education announced Saturday.
Eckman now becomes a contender for National Teacher of the Year and will spend the next year serving as an advocate for public education.
"Lauren Eckman is going to be a fantastic representative of the teaching profession in Georgia," state schools Superintendent John Barge said. “With the population of students she serves, she is highly proficient at differentiating instruction and making strong connections with her students. These will be valuable skills to share with other educators throughout the state.”
After student teaching for three months at the Georgia Academy for the Blind, Eckman decided the experience was her calling. She applied for a teaching position at the academy after college and has been there since 2004.
"During my teaching career, I have learned that my success as an educator can and should be measured by the success of my students," Eckman wrote in her application. "Thus, I believe that my greatest accomplishment has been assisting my students to attain high levels of achievement.”
Eckman's classes at the academy have had a 100 percent passing rate on the Georgia High School Graduation Writing Test seven out of the past eight years. Several of her students have graduated from college with honors, worked toward master’s degrees, attended technical school programs and landed jobs.
The state DOE said those are remarkable accomplishments since many students with visual impairments don't attend college or find jobs.
This year, 151 district teachers of the year submitted applications for the state honor.
The applications were read by a panel of judges that included teachers, past Georgia Teacher of the Year winners and finalists, administrators, community leaders and others. Ten finalists were chosen based on the strength of essay responses.
A panel of judges that included Jadun McCarthy, the 2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year, conducted video observations and interviews. The 10 finalists then gave speeches at the annual Teacher of the Year luncheon.
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