Nine College of Coastal Georgia Grads Named "Teacher of the Year" in Glynn and Camden County Schools

October 3, 2018
By: Tedi Rountree

The Correll Center for Teacher Education and Learning houses the School of Education and Teacher Preparation, where students learn how to teach future generations of thinkers.

Teachers are an integral part of any community—educating, inspiring, and cultivating the young minds of the future. They positively impact the children in their classrooms, families, schools, and the broader community. To be named Teacher of the Year for a school is a great honor that recognizes outstanding educators who motivate children every day. Nine graduates from the Education and Teacher Preparation program at the College of Coastal Georgia were selected as the 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year for their respective schools in Glynn and Camden counties.

The following teachers are graduates of the College who have been selected as the 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year for their schools:

• Kami Tanner, Crooked River Elementary, graduated in 2014

• Jessica Rowell, Matilda Harris Elementary, graduated in 2013

• Cherie Alston, Altama Elementary, graduated in 2015

• Hayley Amick Purnell, Glyndale Elementary, graduated in 2014

• Tyler Mimbs, Oglethorpe Elementary, graduated in 2014

• Amanda Breland, FACES Pre-kindergarten, graduated in 2012

• Rachel Wood, Morningstar Academy, graduated in 2011

• Nicole Bailey Mahony, Needwood Middle School, graduated in 2015

• Sierra Smith Jones, Kingsland Elementary School, graduated in 2015

These recipients will join 13 other education graduates from the College who were honored as Teacher of the Year in recent years for schools in Glynn, Wayne, Liberty, McIntosh, and Brantley counties. They are:

  • Jody Carter, Coastal Academy, 2013-2014
  • Melody Westberry, James E. Bacon Elementary and Wayne County Teacher of the Year 2015-2016
  • Chastity Crane, Liberty County Pre-K Center, 2015-2016
  • Blake Johns, Brantley County High School, 2015-2016
  • Jennifer Logue Carmack, McIntosh County Middle School, Special Education Teacher of the Year 2015-2016
  • Zach Zachry, McIntosh County Academy, 2015-2016
  • Jenna Brass, Brantley County Middle School, 2015-2016
  • Kasey Griffin, Todd Grant Elementary School, 2016-2017
  • Amanda Moore, Goodyear Elementary, 2017-2018
  • Jennifer Cormican Williams, Altama Elementary, 2017-2018
  • Mary Bryson, Glynn Middle School, 2017-2018
  • Julia Shannon Condit, Goodyear Elementary School, 2018-2019
  • Robert Cannon, Needwood Middle School, 2018-2019

“I am so proud of our former students and thank them for representing our program so well in the schools in which they teach. They are the best evidence of the quality of the teacher education program at the College of Coastal Georgia,” said Dr. Claire Hughes, interim chair of Education and Teacher Preparation. “Teachers make a difference in children’s lives and help them achieve their dreams. We are so excited that these teachers are being recognized for their dedication to their students. They truly represent the best of their profession.”

The College of Coastal Georgia’s Department of Education and Teacher Preparation is committed to preparing students to face the realities of the contemporary classroom setting. The College offers two baccalaureate degree programs in teacher education—Early Childhood and Special Education and Middle Grades Education—and secondary education certification tracks for students majoring in biology and math. Content focuses on knowledge expertise, effective teaching strategies, and classroom management.