<strong>From staff reports</strong>

Five classroom teachers were named this week as finalists for Beaufort County School District’s 2020 -2021 District Teacher of the Year.

The finalists are Megan DeWeese, first-grade teacher at Okatie Elementary; Julie Markle, school counselor at Pritchardville Elementary; Jonathan Miller, social studies teacher at Beaufort High School; Michelle Taylor, third-grade teacher at Hilton Head Island IB Elementary; and Roderick Williams, Director of Band at Battery Creek High School.

“These are five truly outstanding and dedicated classroom professionals. Any one of them would be an excellent representative for the Beaufort County School District’s teachers,” Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said. “We are proud of their efforts in the classroom to support our students reaching their highest potential.”

Becoming District Teacher of the Year is a three-step process that began when school-level teachers of the year were selected in April. 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 today as finalists.

In the final 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.

The current Teacher of the Year is Bluffton High math teacher Michelle Gordon.