Congratulations are in order as six Richmond County School System (RCSS) teachers received surprising news during the middle of their school day when Superintendent Malinda Cobb to the delight of students.
The Teacher of the Year planning committee later publicly announced the top finalists for the annual award on Friday, Aug. 15.
The teacher of the year finalists were chosen from a broad field of candidates and include a former professional welder, a chef and an artist along with a math teacher, life-science teacher and an English/language arts professional.
The finalists were also chosen from area schools across the county, including Jenkins-White Elementary School, John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, George P. Butler High School, Richmond Hill Elementary School, A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet School and the Marion E. Barnes Career Center.
Melissa Shepard, chief human resources officer, says talent within the school system is so rich, with 54 professionals meeting the strict qualifications, the committee decided to increase the number of finalists from five to six.
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“We had an incredibly competitive selection process this year and each of these teachers represents the very best of Richmond County and the deep commitment our educators have to students,” Shepard said.
The finalists are as follows:
Audrey Crosby is an art teacher at Jenkins-White Elementary School with 20 years of teaching experience. Crosby began her RCSS career at T.W. Josey High School, where she taught from 2005 to 2014, and returned to the district in 2023 at Jenkins-White. She serves as chair of the art department and the Sunshine Committee and also works as a teacher mentor.
Latonya Jackson teaches AP mathematics and computer science at Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. Jackson has 19 years of teaching experience, including nine years with the Richmond County School System. Jackson previously taught at Cross Creek High School from 2007 to 2011 and joined Davidson in 2021.
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Andrie McFadden teaches welding at the Marion E. Barnes Career Center and has 11 years of teaching experience, including seven with RCSS. He began his RCSS career at T.W. Josey Comprehensive High School in 2017 before joining Barnes in 2018. Prior to teaching in Richmond County, McFadden worked as a welding teacher in South Carolina and served as a pipefitter and welder in the United States and abroad. He serves as a committee chairperson and team lead at Barnes.
Kanesha Roberts teaches culinary arts at George P. Butler High School, where she has worked for four years. She has 10 years of teaching experience, including six years at Jefferson County High School before joining the Richmond County School System. Prior to teaching, Roberts served as a U.S. Army sergeant and culinary specialist. She serves as senior advisor, prom co-director, and homecoming coordinator at Butler.
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LaShanda Mills teaches third-grade English language arts at Richmond Hill Elementary School. She has 13 years of teaching experience and began her RCSS career as a paraprofessional at A. Brian Merry Elementary in 2012. She serves as the teacher in residence for ELA in grades K–3, third-grade chair, a member of the Instructional Leadership Team, and co-chair of the hospitality committee.
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Kristina Istre teaches seventh grade life science at A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet School. She has 31 years of teaching experience, including 28 years in RCSS. Istre serves as seventh-grade chair, middle school science teacher in residence, and coordinator for multiple student competitions, including EcoMeet and the Science Fair. She is the current executive director of the Georgia Science Teachers Association and served as its president from 2024 to 2025.
The district’s Teacher of the Year will be announced at the annual banquet on Sept. 18 at the Augusta Marriott Convention Center starting at 7 p.m., and all 54 Teachers of the Year for the Richmond County School System will be honored at the annual event as well.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter, editorialist and weekly columnist for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
