A 9th-grade Biology teacher who is committed to education that is rooted in the foundation of informed decision making, meaningful contributions, and pursuing dreams has earned the title of 2027 Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) Teacher of the Year (TOTY). On January 29, GCPS announced Dr. Candice Richardson of the Gwinnett InterVention Education (GIVE) Center East as the recipient of the district’s highest teaching honor. Held at Gas South Convention Center, the district awarded all local school Teachers of the Year, 25 outstanding semifinalists, and the top six finalists. Principals, district staff, event sponsors, and other esteemed guests were in attendance to support the awardees.
Before this achievement, Dr. Richardson was named GCPS High School Teacher of the Year. Dr. Richardson was selected from a select group of six finalists, two from each education level (elementary, middle, and high.) Austin Hannon of Twin Rivers Middle School was selected as the district’s middle school Teacher of the Year, and Tram Nguyen of Bethesda Elementary School was selected as the district’s elementary school Teacher of the Year and runner-up.
The TOTY selection process begins with nominations at the local school level. Each school selects a local school Teacher of the Year, and from the local winners, 25 semifinalists are selected. A second selection committee then narrows the 25 semifinalists to six before an overall winner is chosen. In addition to the three level winners below, the other three finalists were Stephanie Guynn of Burnette Elementary School, Dr. Lisa Babbage of Radloff Middle School, and Batavia Sumlin of Paul Duke STEM High School.…