Pictured, top row from L-R: Leslie Harrell-Tumlin, Belita Hamilton, Wanda Brown-Cook; Dr. Kathy Augustine; Ann Cramer. Middle row, from L-R: Urban Youth Harp Ensemble; various school teachers of the year; Tamara Cotman with Leslie Tumlin. Bottom row, from L-R: Belita Hamilton; Randolph Bynum and Wanda Brown-Cook; Hilaire Anelone and Belita Hamilton. UPDATE: Watch multi-media coverage including videos and photos here. Learn more about Belita Hamilton here, Leslie Harrell-Tumlin here and Wanda Brown-Cook here. Atlanta Public Schools honored its 2010-11 three grade-level teachers of the year with a ceremony held Tuesday night at South Atlanta Educational Complex — with Brown Middle School math and science teacher Belita Hamilton winning the overall 2010-11 APS Teacher of the Year honor. (Watch her acceptance speech here.) Leslie Harrell-Tumlin, a fourth-grade teacher at Warren T. Jackson Elementary, was honored as the Elementary School Teacher of the Year; Hamilton was honored as the Middle School Teacher of the Year; and Wanda Brown-Cook, an English teacher at Carver’s School of the Arts, was honored as the High School Teacher of the Year. As APS Teacher of the Year for 2010-11, Hamilton automatically becomes a candidate for Georgia Teacher of the Year, which will be decided later in the school year. Outside of the classroom, Hamilton coaches the award-winning Brown Middle School cheerleaders. “Congratulations to the teachers of the year from every school and to the three finalists for district-wide teacher of the year,” said APS Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Dr. Kathy Augustine. “Thank you for looking our students in the eyes and making a difference in how they see the world and for using your unique power today to shape what they will become tomorrow.” Catalina Sibilsky of APS’ Department of Learning Excellence presided over the ceremonies. The South Atlanta Educational Complex’s Color Guard presented the colors. Ann Cramer of the IBM Corporation served as keynote speaker. Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction Dr. Kathy Augustine introduced the keynote speaker. The Urban Youth Harp Ensemble, directed by Carolyn Lund of Carver’s School of the Arts, performed at the event. The Atlanta Board of Education was represented by Chair Khaatim Sherrer El, Courtney English (who delivered greetings), Yolanda K. Johnson and Cecily Harsch-Kinnane. The Teacher of the Year selection process is a rigorous one. Each teacher is nominated and selected by their peers from the school l evel. They’re required to submit a packet where they respond in writing to the following subjects — philosophy of education, discuss current issues and trends in education — describe how to improve the teaching profession, list their involvement in professional-development activities, and explain how they would serve as spokesperson for APS Teacher of the Year. They’re screened at the School Reform Team level and are interviewed at the semifinalist and finalist phases. The last phase of the process is a classroom observation and a personal interview by central level staff members. Each APS grade-level Teacher of the Year received tributes from some of their students as well as their SRT executive director at the ceremony. Tumlin received a tribute from Jackson Elementary students Claire Hadley Benton and Kourtney Tate as well as SRT-4 Executive Director Tamara Cotman. Hamilton received a tribute from Brown Middle students Seleema Gonzalez, Dwight Showers and DeVaughn Davis as well as SRT-1 Executive Director Sharon Davis Williams. Brown-Cook received a tribute from Carver School of the Arts students Taylor Jackson and Brooklyn Fite as well as Office of High Schools Executive Director Randolph Bynum. Shirley Wright of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators presented the finalists with $100 gift certificates. Representatives from Coca-Cola Bottling Company provided engraved plaques to each Teacher of the Year throughout the district. School Box, Inc. gave $25 gift cards to the finalists. The Target Corporation provided each Teacher of the Year with a $50 gift card. Complete list of the individual teachers of the year, by school reform team and then grade level, after the jump … Teacher of the Year SRT Winners SRT-1 Elementary Schools Adamsville Catherine Glover Beecher Hills Kristin Horton Bethune Carmen Williams Cascade Tiffany Proctor Connally Aria C. Rhenwrick Continental Colony Chenita Jarrett Deerwood Academy Tangee Peek Fain Cedric Carwise Fickett Tisha Young Finch Joya Florence Herndon Sujan Dass M.A. Jones Ginneen Smith Kimberly Sherelle Minter Miles Divya Kharod Perkerson Dorcas Muwandi Peyton Forest Karen Patterson Venetian Hills Valeria Fowlks West Manor Francine Ferguson Middle Schools Brown Belita Hamilton Bunche Antonio Proctor Kennedy Fabrice Aime Sylvan Tara Sealy Young Sandra Canterbury SRT-2 Elementary Schools Benteen Alexis Dimes-Smith Capitol View Ericka White Cleveland Starla Freeman Dobbs Patricia MacNintch Dunbar Oreta Taylor Gideons Tiljanda Byse Heritage Academy Elizabeth Coyne Humphries Lisa Garner Robinson Hutchinson Thelma Straker-Holder Slater Gwendolyn Taylor D. H. Stanton Allen Nichols Thomasville Heights Quanda Frederick Middle Schools Long Andrea Adderly Parks Nykole Hudson Price Melissa Davis SRT-3 Elementary Schools Burgess-Peterson Lorraine McFadden Centennial Place Sharhonda Davies Cook Walter Mason East Lake Claudia Abboud Hope-Hill Alicia Goodman Lin Jennifer Barry Morningside Kelly Lecceardone Parkside Ronnie Thomas Springdale Park Tiffany Blassingame Toomer Jennifer Blow Whitefoord Eunice Washington Middle Schools Coan Carla McCall Inman Arneesa Woods King Patricia Dunac SRT-4 Elementary Schools Bolton Academy Pamela Bowman Boyd Tiffany Momon Brandon Susan Friedrichs Garden Hills Janet Callum Grove Park Stephen Townsend Jackson Leslie Tumlin Jackson Primary Cori Snelson Rivers Courtney Benner Scott Yvette Smith Smith Kelly Petrello F.L. Stanton Rebecca Williams Towns Christina Hayes Usher-Collier Heights Brandon Cummings White Danielle Carvil Woodson Chasity Gamble Middle Schools Harper-Archer Byron Purnell Sutton Natalie Colbert Turner Charlotte Sanford Coretta Scott King Y.W.L.A. Quiana Chambers B.E.S.T. Academy Dwike Leonard Office of High Schools Carver – School of Technology Katheryne Mosley Carver – School of Health Sciences & Research Desiree Glover Carver – School of the Arts Wanda Brown-Cook Crim Open Campus Tiedra Hutchings-Hoskins Douglass Gleandell Waller Grady Mario Herrera Maynard H. Jackson – Engineering Early College Kirbi Thomas Maynard H. Jackson– Fine Arts & Media Communications Tasha Allen Maynard H. Jackson – Information Technology Tara Billingslea Mays Jeremy Gainer North Atlanta Lisa Oglesby South Atlanta – School of Computer Animation & Design Buffy Johnson South Atlanta – School of Health & Medical Science Cristy Wynn South Atlanta – School of Law & Government Candace Moore Therrell – School of Technology, Engineering, Math & Science Sarah Al-Husseini Therrell – School of Health Science & Research Yvonne Pringle Therrell – School of Law Sarah Talluri Washington – Banking, Finance & Investment Ramona Anderson Washington – Early College Tiffany Stembridge-Taylor Washington – Health Sciences & Research Kimberly Moore Washington – Senior Academy Kerry Alexander Share this: Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Print (Opens in new window) Print More Share on X (Opens in new window) X Like this:Like Loading… Discover more from APS Today Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe Post navigation APS welcomes celebrity chefs to serve up food and healthy dieting ideas during National School Lunch Week Meet the APS Elementary School Teacher of the Year: Leslie Harrell-Tumlin, Warren T. Jackson Elementary
