GCS announces Teacher of the Year finalists
Gordon County Schools surprised three exceptional teachers with the news that they were selected as finalists for the 2022-23 Gordon County Schools Teacher of the Year award.
Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Fraker and Assistant Superintendent Alice Mashburn visited their classrooms with flowers and the announcement of their selection.
The finalists are: Amal Yacoub from Sonoraville High, Christina Cote from W.L. Swain Elementary, and Katy Waters from Fairmount Elementary.
Amal Yacoub: Ms. Yacoub is a foreign languages teacher at Sonoraville High School and has served as an educator for 24 years, with 6 years being at SHS. Yacoub grew up speaking Arabic as a child, double-majored in French and Spanish in college, and dabbles in the Italian and Japanese languages as well. It is a personal goal of Ms. Yacoub to make learning a foreign language a pleasant and rewarding experience for all her students.
Ms. Yacoub holds a Bachelor’s Degree in French and Spanish, and a Master’s of Educational Leadership from Kennesaw State University.
Christina Cote: Ms. Cote is a third-grade teacher at W.L. Swain Elementary. Cote joined the Gordon County Schools System in 2002 as a fifth-grade teacher at Red Bud Elementary, where she served for 13 years before transferring to W.L. Swain Elementary in 2015. Ms. Cote is known to be a champion for each of her students, doing all she can to ensure that her students are successful in her classroom and in the future as they progress in their educational journeys.
Ms. Cote holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Shorter College, and a Master’s in Early Childhood Education from Kennesaw State University.
Katy Waters: Ms. Waters currently serves as the Media Specialist at Fairmount Elementary and has served in education in multiple positions for over twelve years, with ten of those years being served in Gordon County Schools. In 2015, Waters was recognized for her devotion to her students when she received the Fairmount Elementary School Teacher of the Year title. Throughout the course of her career, Ms. Waters is known to always go above and beyond for each student she interacts with.
Ms. Waters holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Dalton State College, Master of Arts Degree from Piedmont College, and an Education Specialist Degree from Piedmont College.
The GCS Teacher of the Year will be announced at the Teacher of the Year Ceremony scheduled for May 2. The winner of the system-wide honor will represent Gordon County Schools on the state level for the Georgia Teacher of the Year competition.
To learn more about each of the Gordon County Schools Teacher of the Year finalists and view photos from the surprise visits, go to www.gcbe.org/teacheroftheyear.