The National Teacher of the Year is a nationally recognized professional award in the United States. The program began in 1952, as a project by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and aims to reward excellence in teaching. Every year, nominations are made by students, principals, teachers and administrators for the School, County and State Teacher of the Year awards.
The profiles of the winners from 34 Paulding County Schools are submitted to a selection committee made up of school district personnel, Foundation board members and community leaders. The committee then reviews the data for each candidate and selects the one winner. The winner is chosen based on their biography, nominations and other supporting references. The award is traditionally presented at the Annual Star Banquet on the first Tuesday in May each year. At this banquet, we recognize all 33 school based teacher of the year nominees and reveal the District Teacher of the Year winner.
Although there are no clearly defined requirements the committee looks for:
- The ability to inspire children from all backgrounds and abilities
- The respect of colleagues, students, and parents.
- Activity In The Community
- The ability to fulfill the duties of the award
The District Wide teacher of the year is then submitted to the State wide selection committee with the opportunity to represent our school district on a state wide platform. Paulding County has traditionally been known for having finalists in the Statewide selection and our very own Marc Pedersen from Paulding County High school was selected as the Georgia Teacher of the Year for 2017.
The Employee of the Year program highlights contributions of non-teaching school employees who support the Employee of the Year education of our students in preschool through grade twelve. The overall purpose of the program is to pay tribute to the tireless efforts of our District’s outstanding school employees who are not eligible for recognition as a Teacher of the Year (TOTY). These employees are vital staff members who play key roles in creating a district and school environment that promotes our District’s vision and mission.
