Sandy Willingham, a third-grade teacher at Northside Elementary School received the DeKalb County Teacher of the Year award at the sixth annual Teacher of the Year Banquet Thursday night.
The event was held at the Elizabeth Chapel Baptist Church.
The honor included a school-bell shaped trophy, and a check for $150 from the banquet’s sponsor, Liberty State Bank.
The award was presented by Roy Nelson Pugh of Liberty State Bank and Director of Schools Mark Willoughby.
Five DeKalb County teachers were recognized as Teacher of the Year at their respective schools.
The four other finalists for Teacher of the Year were Amanda Rhoady, who instructs first grade at Smithville Elementary School; Suzette Barnes, a seventh-grade teacher at DeKalb Middle School; Tammy Payne, who teaches fourth grade at DeKalb West School and Joey Reeder, a DeKalb County High School history teacher.
The awards were part of the Tennessee Teacher of the Year program, in which individual schools pick a Teacher of the Year.
Educators are selected in Pre-K through fourth grade, fifth through eighth grade, and ninth through 12th grade categories.
Principals and assistant principals from the teacher’s schools introduced the winners.
The keynote speaker at the banquet was Billie Friel, Pastor of the Alexandria First Baptist Church.