Four are from northern Beaufort County
From staff reports
Four of the five classroom teachers named as finalists for Beaufort County’s 2023-24 District Teacher of the Year are from northern Beaufort County.
The finalists are April Bryant, fifth-grade teacher at Coosa Elementary School; Amanda Freeman, science lab teacher at Mossy Oaks Elementary School; Josh Ferguson, health science teacher at Whale Branch Early College High School; James King, social studies teacher at May River High School; and Karen Tooman, math teacher at Battery Creek High School.
The five finalists were announced before an audience of educators at the opening session of the second day of 2023 Summer Institute, the district’s annual three-day summer professional development conference. This year’s conference is being held at May River High School.
“Each year, we have the privilege of recognizing educators who go above and beyond in their pursuit of educational excellence,”Beaufort County School District (BCSD) Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said in a news release. “Our finalists have demonstrated an unwavering passion for teaching, inspiring their students to reach new heights of achievement and personal growth.”
The District Teacher of the Year will be announced this fall.
Becoming District Teacher of the Year is a three-step process that began when school-level teachers of the year were selected in May. Those wishing to compete for District Teacher of the Year submitted detailed applications in July.
In the second step, a selection committee consisting of parents, former educators and community leaders from across Beaufort County reviewed the applications and rated them using a numerical scoring system. The five highest-scoring applicants were named as finalists.
In the next step, the five finalists will be interviewed by a separate review committee again composed of judges from across the county. The judges will score candidates based on how well they respond to questions about their teaching experiences and current education issues. After those interviews, the panel will select a District Teacher of the Year to represent Beaufort County’s classroom professionals.
