The DeKalb County School System honored the best of the year 2024 last week, presenting Teacher of the Year awards at each school and honoring the District Teacher of the Year as well. The 2024 DeKalb Teacher of the Year is Kathy Ramsey, fourth-grade English, Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher at Northside Elementary School.
On Tuesday, March 19, Ramsey was recognized with a surprise visit in her classroom by Director of Schools Patrick Cripps, Northside Elementary School Principal Angela Johnson, NES Assistant Principal Beth Pafford, Supervisors of Instruction Michelle Burklow and Randy Jennings, and Federal Programs Supervisor Dr. Danielle Collins. During the visit, Director Cripps presented her with the John Isabell Memorial Award. She also received a school bell award, a floral arrangement, and a certificate granting her a day off from school with pay.
“Not only is Ms. Ramsey being recognized by her peers as Teacher of the Year at her school, but she is the “Teacher of the Year” for our whole county,” said Director Cripps. “We are proud of her and the things she does for her students on a daily basis and the relationships she establishes. We are excited to have her as part of our crew and family here in DeKalb County.”
“Ms. Ramsey is well deserving of this award,” said Northside Principal Angela Johnson. “We are so proud of her and what she does every day within the classroom. She builds relationships and works hard from the time she comes in until the time she leaves and that is usually late. We are so proud of her, not only just getting the Teacher of the Year honor here for Northside but for the county and it is well deserved. She is precious and we are so proud.”
Ramsey said she honored by the recognition. “I am very excited. It’s an honor. I have been teaching for 11 years and at Northside for six years. I believe it’s important to develop relationships with the students. My students are precious to me. They are great.”
Ramsey previously taught school in Texas and Kentucky, and she and her husband, Chad, moved to DeKalb when he became minister at the Smithville First Baptist Church. They have a son, Cameron, a sophomore at DCHS, and daughter Abby, a sixth grader at DeKalb Middle School.
School officials also visited the other four local schools, honoring the Teacher of the Year for each facility; first-grade educator Crystal Barnes at DeKalb West School; Kindergarten teacher Misty Agee at Smithville Elementary School; Lori Hendrix, an eighth-grade History teacher at DeKalb Middle School, and Debi DePriest, a government teacher at DeKalb County High School.
Debi DePriest was named the Teacher of the Year at DCHS and garnered high praise from Principal Bruce Curtis. “Ms. DePriest is an extremely hard-working teacher,” said Curtis. “She has dedicated her life to the students and their education here. One thing I love about her is she has high expectations of her students, and they learn a lot in the government class under her. With social media out there, a lot of things written and said are not exactly true, but she makes sure students understand what is really going on with government, and how it operates.”
DePriest has been a teacher at DCHS for 29 years and said she is honored by the recognition. “I am overwhelmed. I don’t feel deserving of it because there are many more teachers here that do an awesome job, but I am thankful for it. Its humbling to know my colleagues voted me teacher at the school. I appreciate this very much.”
Depriest, who is battling an illness, said she has relied on support of her family during tough times. “When I started teaching, I was married to Mark Loring. He later passed away. The Lord then saw fit to bless me with another husband, Bob DePriest, and both of those men have been a real support for me. Bob has been there for me and my strong arm through my sickness. I did have to miss school some when Mark was sick because his illness was so devastating, but I am so thankful that the Lord saw fit to bless me so that I could come to school instead of being out through this sickness,” DePriest said.
At DeKalb Middle School, eighth-grade American History teacher Lori Hendrix was named Teacher of the Year. She is married to Bradley Hendrix and they have three children, Jailyn Bolding (nurse at Ascension Hospital) Jacob Hendrix (senior at DCHS) and Jon Hendrix (sophomore at DCHS).
“Ms. Hendrix is a huge asset to DeKalb Middle School,” said DeKalb Middle School Principal Caleb Shehane. “She has a way of captivating her students that really bring them in an engage them at a whole new level and because of her, students are better when they leave her classroom and that is what teaching is all about.”
“It’s about engaging students,” said Principal Shehane. “She has a way of building a rapport with kids and connecting with them on a social and emotional level as well as educational. She goes above and beyond not only for her students but all the students at DeKalb Middle School, so this is a much-deserved honor and this was voted on by her peers, so they see the same qualities I see in Ms. Hendrix. She is a phenomenal teacher.”
“I am deeply honored and grateful to be named Teacher of the Year,” said Ms. Hendrix. “This recognition means the world to me, and I am humbled by the support of my colleagues, administration, students, and community. It is a privilege to be part of such a rewarding profession, and I am committed to continuing to inspire and empower my students to reach their fullest potential. Thank you for this incredible honor.”
Hendrix said that she has been teaching for 22 years and has been at DeKalb Middle School since day one. “I am from Warren County and my intention was to teach at DMS one year and then transfer to Warren to teach, but once I started teaching here, I knew that this was where I was meant to be.”
“One of the aspects I cherish most about teaching is the opportunity to inspire and empower students to unlock their potential. Witnessing the moment when a concept clicks, or seeing the spark of curiosity ignite in a student's eyes is extremely rewarding.”
Crystal Barnes was named Teacher of the Year at DeKalb West School and said she was excited to receive the honor. “It’s awesome and feels great knowing that I am thought of in this way,” said Barnes.
Barnes has been teaching first grade at DeKalb West School for six years, and comes from a family of educators. She has two sisters who teach, including Morgan Oyster, the agriculture teacher at DCHS and Vickey Barrett, a second-grade educator at DeKalb West. She and her husband Brandon have been married for six years and they reside on a farm in the Belk community.
“Ms. Barnes stands out among her peers and is just amazing for her students. She always looks to help her students in the best way possible every day. She puts in over 100 percent every day at work,” said DeKalb West Principal Sabrina Farler.
Misty Agee was named Teacher of the Year at Smithville Elementary School, and said she was humbled by the award. “This is my 18th year teaching kindergarten here. I love teaching. It’s my passion, so it’s an honor to be recognized for the efforts I put into the classroom. Some of these children come in at the beginning and can’t even hold a pencil and when they leave, they can write their name and they can read. You see so much growth at the kindergarten level,” said Agee.
Misty has a husband, Daniel, and two sons, nine-year-old Cole and eight-month-old Hunter. Her father is retired TWRA Officer Ben Franklin, and her mother is retired educator Linda Franklin, who taught for 38 years.
“Misty is one of those teachers that sees the value of a relationship with the students. She goes above and beyond to really get to know her students personally. She is really able to connect to those kids and watch them grow as they learn every day,” said Smithville Elementary School Principal Anita Puckett.
Director Cripps praised not only this year’s award winners, but also all teachers in the district. “Our district’s Teacher of the Year program recognizes and honors outstanding teachers in DeKalb County. We applaud teachers who care about our children, who devote their professional lives to enriching the lives of DeKalb students, and who demonstrate exceptional gains in student achievement. We are not just exceptionally proud of our Teachers of the Year, but we are also grateful for all of our educators in DeKalb County,” said Director Cripps.
