WCPS Award Recipients to be Honored Through “Celebration of Excellence”

WCPS Award Recipients to be Honored Through “Celebration of Excellence”

On Tuesday, May 2, Wayne County Public Schools (WCPS) will hold a “Celebration of Excellence” to honor the WCPS 2023-2024 Assistant Principal of the Year, Principal of the Year, and Teacher of the Year, as well as the finalists for those awards programs. WCPS will also honor its 2023 Career & Technical Education Middle & High Teachers of the Year, School Counselor of the Year, and Media Coordinator of the Year. The celebration will be held at Lane Tree Conference Center at 6 PM

All of the district’s “of the Years” will be publicly announced for the first time at the event. With the interviews complete, finalists for the Teacher of the Year, Assistant Principal and Principal of the Year programs have already been named – one each from the elementary, middle, and high school level. They include:

Teacher of the Year – Finalists
CategoryNameSchoolPosition
ElementaryLaura DeanEastern Wayne Elementary1st grade Teacher
MiddleRichard WingateGrantham MiddlePhysical Education Teacher
HighLaura J. TaylorWayne School of EngineeringEnglish Language Arts Teacher & Teacher Cadet Instructor
Assistant Principal of the Year – Finalists
CategoryNameSchool
ElementaryLinda Brown RouseCarver Elementary
MiddleLaura KesterNorwayne Middle
HighAngela GranthamSouthern Wayne High
Principal of the Year – Finalists
CategoryNameSchool
ElementaryKelly HollandFremont Elementary
MiddleMario ReDillard Middle
HighDr. Gary HalesWayne School of Engineering

The district’s Teacher of the Year and the Principal of the Year are part of state and national awards programs. The WCPS Assistant Principal of the Year, CTE Teachers of the Year, School Counselor of the Year and Media Coordinator of the Year are district-level awards programs which represent WCPS locally. Each program has its own nomination and selection process. For the Teacher of the Year, Assistant Principal of the Year, and Principal of the Year programs, a district-level selection committee interviews each candidate to determine the district finalists. A follow-up interview of each finalist will then help determine who is named the “of the Year” for that program. Once named, the WCPS Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year will move on to a regional competition, which is the next stage of the state-level competitions.

Below is the complete list of each school-level Teacher of the Year selected to represent their school in the coming school year:

SchoolTeacher of the Year
Brogden MiddleTosharika Elam
Brogden PrimaryHolly Benaissa
Carver ElementaryJanet Holloman
Carver Heights ElementaryLisa Helms
Charles B. Aycock HighEdward “Tony” Coggins
Dillard MiddleRevelene Hutchins
Eastern Wayne ElementaryLaura Dean
Eastern Wayne HighChristopher Merritt
Eastern Wayne MiddleMelissa Earp
Edgewood Community Developmental SchoolScott Littleton
Fremont ElementaryAnita Ernest-Ward
Goldsboro HighRashad Hinnant
Grantham ElementaryRebecca Davis Richards
Grantham MiddleRichard Wingate
Greenwood MiddleWendy Thomas
Meadow Lane ElementaryKelli Narron
Mount Olive MiddleGail Mason
North Drive Elementary(Sandra) Denise Dupree
Northeast ElementaryAntoinette Relaford
Northwest ElementaryBrooke Ash
Norwayne MiddleJennifer Davis
Rosewood ElementaryAmanda Skelton
Rosewood HighHeather Turner
Rosewood MiddleKacy Smith
Southern Wayne HighJenny Barrow
Spring Creek ElementaryNora Morton
Spring Creek HighLeigh Worrell
Spring Creek MiddleSarah Ryan
Tommy’s Road ElementaryBianca Guzman
Wayne Early/Middle College HighElizabeth Breedlove
Wayne Middle/High AcademyJanis Hart
Wayne School of EngineeringLaura Taylor
Wayne School of Technical ArtsSara Ruhl

Principal of the Year Finalists

Assistant Principal of the Year Finalists

Teacher of the Year Finalists

WCPS School-Level Teachers of the Year

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