And the winner is: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools names its 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year

Anna Maria Della Costa
·2 min read

Ana Cunningham knows the key to her success as an educator is investing in and listening to her students.

So, promptly after being named Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ 2022-23 Teacher of the Year on Wednesday night, she thanked her students for showing her what it means to be “gritty, resilient and persistent.”

“I am here because of our students,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham, an English Honors teacher at Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, was chosen from nine finalists at the inaugural Gem Awards ceremony held at the Dale F. Halton Theater at Central Piedmont Community College.

“There are so many inspiring, incredible leaders in CMS,” Cunningham said.

Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology teacher Ana Cunningham, center, smiles as she is announced as Charlotte Mecklenburg School teacher of the year.
Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology teacher Ana Cunningham, center, smiles as she is announced as Charlotte Mecklenburg School teacher of the year.

For the past 11 years, Cunningham has taught honors English II at Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and political science from Northwestern University. A Teach for America alumna, Cunningham is also a Leroy “Pop” Miller Fellow and adviser to her school’s National Honor Society.

Cunningham also was an Ed ambassador with EdNC, an online education-focused publication. She says that allowed her to meet teachers from across the state and learn about issues that affect different regions.

“Professional development has deepened my commitment to offer the most impactful, relevant and rigorous educational experience for students,” Cunningham said. “This is the greatest profession ever.”

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools 2022-23 Teacher of the Year winner will vie to become one of the state’s nine Regional Teachers of the Year and may be considered for the North Carolina Teacher of the Year. Cunningham also will receive a total of $1,500 — finalists receive $500 and the winner receives an additional $1,000.

And the winner is...

Paw Creek Elementary’s Rachelle Gethers celebrates being named CMS Teacher Assistant of the Year on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at the Dale F. Halton Theater on the campus of CPCC in Charlotte, NC.
Paw Creek Elementary’s Rachelle Gethers celebrates being named CMS Teacher Assistant of the Year on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at the Dale F. Halton Theater on the campus of CPCC in Charlotte, NC.

Rachelle Gethers, a teacher assistant at Paw Creek Elementary, was named the 2022-23 Teacher Assistant of the Year.

Gethers is a pre-K teacher assistant and has worked for the school district for 25 years. Gethers is a graduate of West Charlotte High and attended Central Piedmont Community College, where she earned an associate’s degree in early childhood development.

Gethers is pursing a bachelor’s degree in early childhood development from Western Carolina University and expects to graduate in 2025.

Finalists for Teacher of the Year included: Cunningham; Kristen Angerer, Myers Park High; Caleb Chandler, Piedmont Middle; Matthew Crouch, Ardrey Kell High; Angela Days Gist, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle; Jessie Haynes, Smithfield Elementary; Zackary Joyner, Rocky River High; Jennifer Nelson, North Academy of World Languages; and Poonam Rai, Westerly Hills Academy.

Finalists for Teacher Assistant of the Year included: Gethers; Kimberly Brown, Chantilly Montessori; Audrey Caldwell, Marie G. Davis School; Tomeka Curry, Francis Bradley Middle; Robin Hemmingway, Bruns Avenue Elementary; Deborah Mathews, McKee Road Elementary; Felicia Moore, Elizabeth Traditional Elementary; Xanthe Perez, Winget Park Elementary; and Carol Witherspoon, Hidden Valley Elementary.