Tuscaloosa City Schools honors 'best of the best' with Apple Awards

Ken Roberts, The Tuscaloosa News
·1 min read

Tuscaloosa City Schools held a luncheon to give special recognition to some of its best employees for their commitment to education.

The 11th annual Apple Awards were given Monday at the Tuscaloosa River Market along the Black Warrior River.

"We are lucky to have dedicated employees across our system who work tirelessly each and every day to make a positive difference in the lives of our students," said Mike Daria, superintendent of the Tuscaloosa City Schools, in a news release.

Dec 5, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; The Tuscaloosa City Schools presented the 2022 Apple Award Winners for teachers and support personnel at the Tuscaloosa River Market. Nichole Redding from Woodland Forrest Elementary School reacts to being named the Support Employee of the Year, school winner.
Dec 5, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; The Tuscaloosa City Schools presented the 2022 Apple Award Winners for teachers and support personnel at the Tuscaloosa River Market. Nichole Redding from Woodland Forrest Elementary School reacts to being named the Support Employee of the Year, school winner.

"The Apple Awards celebrate the best of the best in our system, and we are excited to highlight the excellence these people represent," Daria said.

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Sixty-four nominees representing all 21 city schools attended the Apple Awards luncheon. From those 64 nominees, eight district award winners were selected, including Teacher of the Year, Support Employee of the Year, transportation and central support team categories, and a new Interdisciplinary Innovation award.

The awards also honored Shelton State Community College, the University of Alabama College of Education, and the Nick's Kids Foundation for making a difference in the school system.

Dec 5, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; The Tuscaloosa City Schools presented the 2022 Apple Award Winners for teachers and support personnel at the Tuscaloosa River Market. Ryan Ballard was named one of the systems Alabama Teachers of the Year for his work at Northridge Middle School. He will represent the system at the state level of the competition.

Here are the 2022 winners of the Apple Awards:

  • Teachers of the Year: Amber Whitcomb of Woodland Forrest Elementary School and Ryan Ballard of Northridge Middle School

  • Support Employees of the Year: Nichole Redding of Woodland Forrest Elementary School and Nakesha Coleman-Wesley of Eastwood Middle School

  • Support Employee of the Year, Central Support Team: Kim Hamner

  • Support Employee of the Year, Transportation: Greg Rogers

  • Interdisciplinary Innovation: Paige Weiland (Holtz) of Skyland Elementary School and Amanda Anderson of Eastwood Middle School

  • Community Spirit: Shelton State Community College, the University of Alabama's College of Education and the Nick's Kids Foundation

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa City Schools honors outstanding employees with Apple Awards