Friday, April 24, 2015

Superintendent Spearman Announces Teacher of the Year

Columbia, S.C. – State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman is proud to announce the 2015-16 South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

“This is a great honor for Suzanne Koty, Sumter High School, and the Sumter County School District,” said Spearman. “We have so many wonderful teachers in South Carolina and this is a great honor for Suzanne and her community. Teachers like her across our state put the education of their students first and do everything possible to help them achieve success. I want to congratulate Suzanne and thank her for the dedication and commitment she shows to excellence in the classroom every day,” concluded Spearman.

The five finalists for the award, known as Honor Roll Teachers, were:

• Suzanne Koty, an English teacher at Sumter High School in Sumter School District
• Albert Robertson, a history teacher at Meadow Glenn Elementary in Lexington School District One
• Daniel Oddo, a math teacher at Dreher High School in Richland County School District One
• Jeannie Durham, a science teacher at Rawlinson Road Middle School in Rock Hill School District
• Hunter Jolley, a science teacher at Boiling Springs High School in Spartanburg School District Two

As the 2015 South Carolina Teacher of the Year, Koty will receive a $25,000 cash award and a BMW to use for a year. The other four finalists will each receive $10,000 and the remaining district teachers of the year will each receive $1,000.

All five finalists were chosen by a panel of educators and private citizens with no connections to the South Carolina Department of Education. The names of the teachers and their schools are concealed from the judges during the selection process.

During the 2015-16 school year, Koty will participate in a one-year residency program at the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA) and will serve as a statewide ambassador for the profession.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the South Carolina Teacher of the Year Program, which has increased in both participation and prestige. The awards program is a nationally recognized event that honors the State Teacher of the Year, Honor Roll teachers, and district teachers of the year. It is hosted by the South Carolina Department of Education and SC Future Minds, the non-profit that organizes private support for South Carolina public schools.

Koty succeeds Jennifer Ainsworth, a special education teacher at Socastee High School in Horry County School District, who served as the 2014-15 South Carolina Teacher of the Year.