Cedartown High School’s Yvonne Lee named Polk County Schools Teacher of the Year for 2014-15
Polk County Schools celebrated the naming of their systemwide Teacher of the Year for 2014, Cedartown High School teacher Yvonne Lee.
The Polk County Board of Education announced the teachers for all the schools in the system in 2014 at their November combined meeting on Tuesday night.
Lee, who has been at Cedartown High for 14 years as a Biology teacher, said she was thankful for all those who thought she was worthy of their support as teacher of the year.
“I was very surprised, but I appreciate the board and everyone understanding what we go through and what we do on a daily basis,” she said. “I love my job, I love my school and I love teaching.”
She said she felt more like a representative of all those teachers throughout the system who work hard on a daily basis after she received her award at the board meeting.
“There are a lot of great teachers that I know, and it makes me feel honored to be considered by them as one of the best, especially alongside those who were honored here as well,” she said.
Lee said the award also reflected well on her relationship with students, and how much effort they put into making her job of teaching easier.
“My main goal is that if the kids like me, they’ll do better in class,” she said. “I think it’s a reflection on how hard we, as teachers, work in the classroom.”
She also heads up the Renaissance program and helps out with organizing prom at Cedartown High School. She was also named teacher of the year for the high school.
Lee wasn’t the only teacher honored during festivities at the school board. Nine other teachers were given their school teacher of the year awards for 2014. Those included Jeff Hawkins of Rockmart High, Lori Shiver of Cedartown and Ashley Puckett of Rockmart Middle schools, and ele- mentary school teachers Tim Rowell of Cherokee, Durand Dean of Eastside, LeAnn Newsome of Northside, Amber Fuqua of Van Wert, Jill Dingler of Westside and Elisha Prewett of Young’s Grove Elementary.
All the teachers who won for their school teacher of the year awards received $100 from Shaw Hankins Insurance, and a $500 award for Lee as system teacher of the year.
Board of Education chair Jane Holbrooks-Hamlett praised all of the educators for their hard work in the classroom before presenting them with the awards.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for all the hard work educators do for Polk’s children,” she said.