State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman surprised Woodruff Middle School teacher Ashley Bennett, today with news that she has been selected as one of five finalists for the South Carolina Teacher of the Year award.  

“Ashley is an outstanding teacher whose dedication to her students is exhibited in her classroom every day,” said State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman. “As a Woodruff graduate she knows her school community well and continues to go above and beyond to give back while supporting and engaging every student.”

Ashley Bennett teaches seventh grade Mathematics at Woodruff Middle School in Spartanburg County School District Four. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in middle grades education from the University of South Carolina - Upstate and her Master of Education from Southern Wesleyan University. Ashley holds a National Board of Professional Teaching certification in Early Adolescence Mathematics. 

"Spartanburg District Four is honored to have Mrs. Ashley Bennett as a finalist for Teacher of the Year for the state of South Carolina," said Spartanburg Four superintendent Dr. Rallie Liston. "As a Woodruff High School graduate, Ashley knows our community and leads with a heart of gold through her teaching, her leadership, and her concern for each of the children at Woodruff Middle School. Her compassion for teaching the whole child is evident in what she does inside her classroom, but most importantly, how she leads outside of the classroom."
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Ashley received the Betty Dewitt Outstanding Educator Award in 2017 for her work in agriculture education. She was the recipient of the CHS Foundation Scholarship in 2018, which allowed her to participate in the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference to deepen her knowledge of agricultural literacy integration into the classroom. In 2018, Ashley founded a local chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Woodruff Middle School, a club that encourages compassion, integrity, and empathy, and serves as an opportunity for mentorship and spiritual growth for students. Ashley strongly believes that “you cannot teach a student until you know a student”, and that to teach one needs to “start with the heart.” With that in mind, she invests in her students at a personal level, creating safe places in her classroom where they can not only perform well academically but also share their personal interests and find joy in learning. She integrates instruction methods that address the needs of the whole child, and views herself as a teacher whose concern goes beyond curriculum and content realizing the incredible opportunity teachers have to impact the next generation.
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As one of five finalists, Ashley will receive $10,000 and go on to the next stage of competition which involves an interview with a team of expert judges. The winner will be announced at the  South Carolina Teacher of the Year Gala , which has been postponed and will be rescheduled for later this year.

The winner receives a total of $25,000 and is provided with a brand new BMW to use while serving for one year as a roving ambassador providing mentoring, attending speaking engagements, working with teacher cadets and teaching fellows, leading the State Teacher Forum, and serving as the state spokesperson for over 50,000 educators.

The Teacher of the Year program celebrates excellence and strengthens the teaching force by honoring and recognizing exceptional teachers on the district, state, and national level. The Teacher of the Year Awards not only assist in retention efforts but serve as a powerful recruitment tool to the educator profession.