Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Spearman Announces Second Finalist for Teacher of the Year

Rock Hill, SC – State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced the second of five finalists for South Carolina’s prestigious Teacher of the Year award during a visit to Rock Hill School District Three.

“I am pleased to announce that 8th grade science teacher Jeannie Durham from Rawlinson Road Middle School is a finalist for this year’s Teacher of the Year award,” said Spearman.  “She is a great representative of the educators in this community, and I am excited for her school, her students, and her family,” concluded Spearman.

Durham’s father, her high school principal, and her love for working with young people, all played a role in her decision to become a teacher.  Committed to building a positive school climate, she participates in the school’s Morale Booster Club.  She is passionate about science and teaches her students that science really matters by relating scientific principles to everyday life. 

As a finalist, Durham is in the running for the state’s Teacher of the Year honor, which comes with a grand prize of $25,000 and a new BMW to drive for a year.  The four remaining finalists will each receive a check for $10,000.  All 82 school districts select a district teacher of the year, and the five finalists are selected from this pool. 

Durham will represent Rock Hill School District Three at the 50th anniversary of the South Carolina Teacher of the Year Celebration on Wednesday, April 22 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.  The annual celebration is a partnership between the South Carolina Department of Education and South Carolina Future Minds, the nonprofit organization that connects private support to South Carolina's public schools.  For tickets and more information, visit the South Carolina Future Minds Teacher of the Year Web page here. 

(Photo: L-R Molly Spearman; Jeannie Durham; Principal Dr. Jean Dickson; and District Superintendent Dr. Kelly Pew.)