Lowndes County Schools Names Ellinburg District Teacher of the Year

Lowndes County Schools held Convocation, Monday, August 1, 2022. A particular highlight of this event was honoring and recognizing school-level Teachers of the Year naming the District Teacher of the Year. This year’s Teachers of the Year are: Desirai Pannell, Clyattville Elementary School; Misty Watkins, Dewar Elementary School; Deaven Thomas, Hahira Elementary School; Jennifer Sherouse, Lake Park Elementary School; LaTrease Williams, Moulton-Branch Elementary School; Kayla Reeves, Pine Grove Elementary School; Rebecca Cook, Westside Elementary School; Josh Barfield, Hahira Middle School; Elizabeth Hynes, Lowndes Middle School; Anna Grantham, Pine Grove Middle School; Sean Alligood, Parker Mathis Learning Center; and Chase Ellinburg, Lowndes High School.
The 2022-2023 Lowndes County Schools District Teacher of the Year is Chase Ellinburg, Lowndes High School. He serves as ELA instructional lead. Mr. Ellinburg stated, “Students rarely see themselves as agents of change in their own education. This should not be the norm. I try to be an advocate for the development of a learning-centered culture. If learning remains cemented to the core of every classroom, then teachers and students can simultaneously fulfill course objectives together.”
Each school winner submitted an application packet that mirrors the Georgia Teacher of the Year application, with 10 pages of narrative writing. These applications were reviewed by six local judges with the top five applications evaluated by five external judges. The five external judges each rated the applications based on a rubric used for the Georgia Teacher of the Year program.
Chase Ellinburg, the Lowndes County District Teacher of the Year, will go on to compete for the Georgia Teacher of the Year in December, with that winner being named in May 2023.
Each Teacher of the Year was showered with gifts donated by an amazing group of community supporters. Click below to view them.
Teacher of the Year Sponsors.pdf