The Columbia County School District hosted an elaborate evening venerating its educators Thursday and named Ashley Fryer as the Columbia County Teacher of the Year.
The district held the banquet in the early evening in the event barn at White Oak Road Farm in Appling, catered by A Family Affair and entertained by the Lakeside High School Jazz Band.
“You are all here for a special reason,” said district superintendent Steven Flynt in his welcome address. “Your profound impact on our future. Future teachers, first responders, scientists, business owners, mothers and fathers; and you are quite exceptional.”
The presentation of the final award was prefaced by remarks from the current teacher of the year, David Phillips of Greenbrier Middle School, who has had the role since 2019, as the term was expanded due to COVID-19.
“Two years ago the world was a very different place,” said Phillips. “What it means to be an educator and what it means to be a leader has evolved so much.”
The Board of Education recognized 31 teachers of the year, including five finalists for 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year. Fryer, a first grade teacher at Blue Ridge Elementary School, received multiple awards the honor including a $1,000 deposit from the Board of Education, a $1,000 technology grant for classroom use and the use of a 2022 BMW X3 for a year courtesy of Taylor BMW.
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Prizes for the other teachers acknowledged included a $25 gift certificate for Sparkle Car Wash, $300 direct deposit, and a $1,000 technology grant for classroom use, as well as a entry in a drawing for a diamond necklace worth over $1,200, donated by Windsor Jewelers. Carmen Santiago of Grovetown Elementary won the drawing.
The nomination process for the award begins when each school in the district select a “Teacher of the Quarter” throughout the year, who are then added to a ballot from which teachers select a winner to represent their school. The top five finalists are announced at a Board of Education meeting.
These nominees then complete an online application based on the Georgia State Teacher of the Year competition, scored by a panel of judges. Educators from outside of the district individually rate each application on a 100-point scale. The highest scoring from this selection of teachers become the top five finalists, who are then observed and interviewed by the three judges.
The winner of the Teacher of the Year is then eligible to compete for Georgia’s State Teacher of the Year, then winner of which is announced in the spring.
Fryer says that her approach to teach is based upon developing a genuine bond with students in order to facilitate learning.
“Building relationships with my students is my number one priority,” said Fryer. “If I create that relationship with them where they feel loved and respected and I can have fun with them, then all the learning will come into place. If they can trust me and have that relationship with me, to me that’s the most important standard.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
