Teacher of the Year
2026-2027 Teacher of the Year
2026-27 School Level Winners
Alliance Academy for Innovation
Brad Davis
Big Creek Elementary School
Aditi Vishal
Brandywine Elementary School
Amanda Hollis
Brookwood Elementary School
Shannon Heuermann
Chattahoochee Elementary School
Keri Cook
Chestatee Elementary School
Melissa Gresham
Coal Mountain Elementary School
Kamryn Cantrell
Cumming Elementary School
Lisa Milligan
Daves Creek Elementary School
Colleen Woodman
Denmark High School
Mary Cartenuto
DeSana Middle School
Margo Wach
East Forsyth High School
Rob Tomlinson
Forsyth Central High School
Asheley Bell
Haw Creek Elementary School
Cam Neal
Hendricks Middle School
Addie Miller
Johns Creek Elementary School
Christine Pendleton
Kelly Mill Elementary School
Matthew Westbrook
Lakeside Middle School
Jeni Pestorius
Lambert High School
Joanna Spalding
Liberty Middle School
John Orr
Little Mill Middle School
Vanessa Chapley
Mashburn Elementary School
Jeremy Anderson
Matt Elementary School
Rose (RJ) Bulau
Midway Elementary School
Hannah Durham
New Hope Elementary School
Nicole Gilreath
North Forsyth High School
Stephen Pate
North Forsyth Middle School
Amanda Williams
Otwell Middle School
Meghan Miller
Piney Grove Middle School
Amber Gravitt
Poole’s Mill Elementary School
Courtney Martin
Riverwatch Middle School
Catherine Maguire
Sawnee Elementary School
Laura Sindicic
Settles Bridge Elementary School
Jennifer Baker
Sharon Elementary School
Samantha Francisco
Shiloh Point Elementary School
Celena Cater
Silver City Elementary School
Kelly Evans
South Forsyth High School
Lisa Duff
South Forsyth Middle School
Taylor Hughes
Vickery Creek Elementary School
Katie Keith
Vickery Creek Middle School
Nicole Seymour
West Forsyth High School
Harley Thomas
Whitlow Elementary School
Michelle (Mickie) Reynolds
- 2026-2027 Teacher of the Year Timeline
- 2026-2027 Teacher of the Year Guidelines & Criteria
- 2026-2027 Teacher of the Year Selection Process
- 2026-2027 Teacher of the Year Application Information
2026-2027 Teacher of the Year Timeline
|
Date |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Friday, September 4 |
|
|
Tuesday, September 8 |
District Application Released to School TOTY |
|
Monday, October 12 |
TOTY Submit Applications to CELE by 5 PM |
|
Wednesday, October 14 |
Committee Members Receive Applications to Review |
|
Friday, November 6 |
Committee Members Submit Application Scores to CELE by 5 PM |
|
Tuesday, November 10 |
District Announces 20 TOTY semi-finalists (11 ES, 5 MS and 4 HS) |
|
Tuesday, January 19 |
Semi-finalists Submit Videos to CELE by 5 PM |
|
Wednesday, January 20 |
Committee Members Receive Classroom Observation Videos for Review |
|
Wednesday, February 3 |
Committee Members Submit Classroom Observation Video Scores to CELE by 5 PM |
|
Thursday, February 18 |
District Announces 5 TOTY Finalists |
|
Tuesday, February 23 |
Committee Members Interview TOTY Finalists |
|
Friday, March 12 |
Celebration of Excellence: Community Recognition of school-level TOTYs and Announcement of 2027 District TOTY (11:30 AM – 1 PM) |
2026-2027 Teacher of the Year Guidelines & Criteria
The ideal candidate for the Forsyth County Schools (FCS) Teacher of the Year (TOTY) should be an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled educator who:
- Plans to remain in an active teaching role
- Inspires and engages students of all backgrounds and abilities
- Earns the respect and admiration of students, parents/guardians, and colleagues
- Makes meaningful contributions to both their school and the broader community
Eligibility Criteria:
- Open to in-person and virtual teachers in grades Pre-K through 12, including media specialists
- Counselors and speech-language pathologists are not eligible
- Candidates must have at least three years of teaching experience
- The majority of their professional responsibilities must involve direct classroom instruction
The selected 2027 FCS TOTY will begin their term of service on March 12, 2027, and will be eligible to participate in the Georgia TOTY program.
2026-2027 Teacher of the Year Selection Process
Round One – School-Level Selection & Application (Deadline: October 12, 2026)
Deadline: School-level TOTY must submit their completed application HERE by 5:00 PM on Monday, October 12, 2026.
A panel of respected community members and educators from Forsyth County assesses all applications based on a standardized rubric to narrow the field to twenty semi-finalists. Semi-finalists will be notified via email on November 12, 2025. Semi-finalists are the top twenty (20) applicants based on highest application scores:
- 11 elementary school teachers
- 5 middle school teachers
- 4 high school teachers
Round Two – Classroom Observation Video Submission (Deadline: January 19, 2027)
Deadline: Semi-finalists must submit a classroom observation video (maximum 30 minutes) by 5:00 PM on January 19, 2027. File name should be saved as last name first name school (ex. Smith Mary SFHS Classroom Observation Video)
Finalists will be announced on February 18, 2027, via surprise school visits from Superintendent Mitch Young and district leadership. Finalists are the top five (5) candidates based on highest application and observation video scores.
Round Three – Finalist Interviews and Presentations (Interviews: February 23, 2027)
The five (5) finalists will participate in a 45-minute panel interview and prepare a five-minute speech on a provided topic and interview with school leadership, district leadership, community members, and prior teachers of the year. The 2027 FCS TOTY is determined based on the highest cumulative score from the application, video, speech, and interview.
Results remain confidential until announced at the Celebration of Excellence held on March 12, 2027, from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM, at the Forsyth Conference Center. All school-level TOTY’s will be part of the program.
2026-2027 Teacher of the Year Application Information
In addition to resume and biographical information, you will respond to the following four narrative questions. Keep the response to each question to only one page. Please use Arial 10-point font and save these four responses in one PDF document and upload into the online form. LINK TO APPLICATION.
Important!
Do not include your name or your school’s name when responding to the questions. Pictures, drawings, and/or additional pages are not permitted.
Question 1: Professional Biography
What were the factors that influenced you to become a teacher? Describe what you consider to be your greatest contributions or accomplishments in education.
Question 2: Philosophy of Teaching
Describe a content lesson or unit that defines you as a teacher. How did you engage students of all backgrounds and abilities in learning? Show how your deliberate instructional decisions create student learning and reveal your beliefs about teaching and learning.
Question 3: Community Involvement
How are you involved in your school and local community and how do you involve your students in the local community? Show how these community connections dissolve classroom walls and are used to impact student learning and success.
Question 4: Professional Learning
What type of professional learning do you participate in? Describe a time when you grew as a teacher leader and life-long learner because of professional learning. Describe how it helped you to grow and how it impacted students.



















