Teacher of Year is chosen Thursday

Columbia County will recognize a new Teacher of the Year at a banquet Thursday.

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The finalists are:

- Christa Powell, a kindergarten teacher at Cedar Ridge Elementary School;

- Michelle Radford, a special-needs teacher at North Columbia Elementary;

- Kim Phillips, a second-grade teacher at River Ridge Elementary;

- Brenda Adams, a kindergarten teacher at Stevens Creek Elementary; and,

- Vicki Tarleton, a math teacher at Grovetown High School.

This is the first year Grovetown High, which opened in August 2009, has been eligible to nominate a Teacher of the Year.

Grovetown High's media specialist, Angela Dallis, also will be recognized Thursday as the school system's Media Specialist of the Year.

Speakers at the banquet will include Superintendent Charles Nagle, school board Chairwoman Regina Buccafusco, Assistant Superintendent Jeff Carney and 2009-10 Teacher of the Year Allison Palfy, of Cedar Ridge Elementary School.

Teachers of the Year for each school are selected by their co-workers.

Finalists for the countywide contest are determined by a panel of educators from outside the school system, and the Teacher of the Year is selected by a similar evaluation process.

The winner of the county contest will become a contestant for Georgia Teacher of the Year. Ten finalists for that contest will be selected in February, and the winner will be announced in May.

The county's annual recognition will be held at West Lake Country Club starting at 6:30 p.m.