Two finalists for Georgia Teacher of the Year help educate students in Columbus area
Two of the 10 finalists for the 2024 Georgia Teacher of the Year award help educate students in the Columbus area.
Veterans Memorial Middle School social studies teacher Vanessa Ellis and Park Elementary School third grade teacher Jennifer Lean learned the news Friday as Georgia Department of Education superintendent Richard Woods made surprise visits to their classrooms, according to the GaDOE’s Facebook page.
The Georgia Teacher of the Year serves as an ambassador for public education and represents the state in the National Teacher of the Year competition. The 2024 Georgia Teacher of the Year will serve from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
A selection panel will interview the finalists in April. The candidates also will be judged on speeches they give. The winner will be announced at the Georgia Teacher of the Year gala June 10 on Jekyll Island.
The GaDOE hasn’t released a full list of finalists because “we are surprising the finalists one at a time in their classrooms and will send a release this Friday once we have visited all 10,” department communications director Meghan Frick told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email Wednesday.
The 10 finalists are selected based on their applications, which were read and scored this year by 51 GaDOE employees, past Georgia Teacher of the Year winners or past Georgia Teacher of the Year finalists. Panel members receive training to assist in calibrating their scores.
Then another panel, 14 members representing GaDOE, the State Board of Education, the Georgia Teacher of the Year Association (membership organization of past Georgia Teachers of the Year and finalists), and education and community organizations, interviews the finalists and evaluates their speeches as part of the selection process.
Ellis is the Muscogee County School District 2022 Teacher of the Year. Educated in the city where she teaches, Ellis attended Dawson Elementary School and Rothschild Middle School and graduated from Jordan Vocational High School. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history and secondary education from Columbus State University. She has worked her entire 12-year teaching career in MCSD, six years at Fort Middle School and the past six years at Veterans.
Asked for her reaction to being a state finalist, Ellis wrote in an email Wednesday to the L-E, “Gratitude and shock! I cried! There are over 100,000 teachers in the state of Georgia and to be selected as one of ten finalists is truly such an honor. This experience is forever branded on my heart.”
Veterans principal Robert Ogburn wrote in email Wednesday to the L-E, “I am so excited for her! She is an excellent teacher and cares about her students. She is a product of public education herself and does an excellent job with our students.”
Ellis makes a daily impact on her students, Ogburn said.
“She truly cares about them and their futures,” he wrote. “She strives to help each student think critically and reach their full potential. . . . She is a tremendous educator and represents Veterans Memorial, Muscogee County School District, and public education in a phenomenal manner.”
Lean is the Harris County School District 2022 Teacher of the Year. She has taught for 26 years in Georgia public schools, including the past six in Harris County. She previously taught in Troup County, Oconee County, Oglethorpe County and Ben Hill County.
After graduating from Parkview High School in Gwinnett County, she earned an associate’s degree in elementary education from Young Harris College, a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Berry College, a master’s degree in elementary education from Valdosta State University and a specialist’s degree in reading from Auburn University.
Asked for her reaction to being a state finalist, Lean wrote in an email Wednesday to the L-E, “Teaching has been my passion for three decades. I am honored and delighted to be selected. . . . I am proud to represent Park Elementary and Harris County at this level.”
Park principal Allyson Douthit wrote in an email to the L-E, “Mrs. Lean embodies a true educator. She’s a teacher’s teacher, finding value in all experiences and turning them into teachable moments. Her visionary approach to any task brings initiative, forward thinking, and a tremendously positive attitude. Park Elementary is proud of her well-deserved recognition and is cheering for her as she moves forward.”
