When the Richmond County School District announced LaQuandra Staley as its 2025 Teacher of the Year at its annual celebratory banquet, she reacted by breaking into song.
“Can I really express how I feel?”
These were the first words she spoke after the announcement came, standing at the mic in front of a crowd of fellow teachers, school staff and families supporting other candidates.
Then she belted a heartfelt and spontaneous hymn repeating the lyrics “to God be the glory.”
“A whole bunch of emotions overtook me”
“I’m a church girl at heart,” Staley said later. “Singing is one of the things that I do that gets me through tough times, happy times. I always have a song in my heart.”
“I was shocked, speechless and I don’t know, I felt numb…just a whole bunch of emotions overtook me,” she added.
Staley teaches second grade at C.T. Walker Traditional Magnet School, and has been teaching for Richmond County for seven years. Staley has a masters degree in education and curriculum from Augusta University.
Teacher of the Year prizes
Along with the title of Teacher of the Year, Staley was also presented with a $5,000 check and a brand new Nissan Murano with a one-year lease.
“I am overwhelmingly grateful. I’m humbled, I’m honored,” she said. “I’m excited to represent [the] Richmond County School System. It feels amazing to be chosen out of so many amazing educators,” she said.
Superintendent on the winner
Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Bradshaw said he’d never met Staley until he visited her at her school to let her know she’d been named as one of the top five finalists. “It appeared that everyone loved her, that she was respected by her peers, by her principal,” he said of his first impressions.
Other finalists in the running for Teacher of the Year were Selema Clay from Deer Chase Elementary School, Beverly Franqui from Blythe Elementary School, Juanita Walden from Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School and Valerie Thomas with e-school.
