SCHOOL CONNECTION
May 15, 2003
2003 Goal: By 2003, 95 percent of students tested will be at or above grade level as measured by NC End-of-Grade testing at grades 3 and 8.
MIDDLE CREEK HIGH TEACHER IS WAKE COUNTY TEACHER OF THE
YEAR
Middle Creek High School teacher Johnny Gatlin was named
the 2002-2003 Wake County Teacher of the Year, the school
system's highest honor, at a banquet last night in Cary.
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Superintendent Bill McNeal offered his congratulations to
Gatlin who has been praised by staff and students at Wake
County's newest high school.
Gatlin, an earth science/environmental science teacher, joined
the faculty to open the new Middle Creek High this year. He
has been teaching for eight years.
Graham Chapman is the student body president at Middle Creek
High and has looked to Gatlin for advice.
"Mr. Gatlin became our student advisor and headed up
creating the first ever student government at Middle Creek,"
said Chapman. "He has a great sense of humor and an outstanding
personality that allows him to work well with anyone. His
great judgment makes him the great student advisor that he
is. He is an outstanding teacher and leader. He is a friend
of mine."
Martha Ramsey, Middle Creek High's assistant principal, praises
Gatlin for his efforts as the new school opened.
"Mr. Gatlin is intelligent, articulate, and hardworking;
he is a capable, effective teacher and school leader who consistently
demonstrates initiative, professionalism and dedication,"
Ramsey said. "He commands respect from students and colleagues.
He seeks opportunities that challenge him professionally,
yet allows him in turn to use the experience to improve student
learning and achievement and improve the school as a learning
community."
Gatlin's parents didn't finish high school, but they did
impress upon him the importance of education.
"I can remember them saying, 'Your education is something
that can never be taken from you. You will always have that.'
Also they believed that a solid education would open doors
that they never saw opened for them," said Gatlin. "In
my parents' eyes, education wasn't an isolated entity at the
local school. Rather, it was a process that happened both
at the school and at home. A process they were actively involved
in. All of these beliefs and actions shaped my personal philosophy
of teaching."
As the Wake County Teacher of the Year, Gatlin will represent
Wake County in the North Carolina Teacher of the Year competition.
He succeeds Sophie Frankowski, a Southeast Raleigh High teacher.
Wake County's Teacher of the Year receives a prize package
worth thousands of dollars, including use of a Saturn automobile
for a year, a $1,000 cash prize from Central Carolina Bank,
an IBM Thinkpad computer, and gift certificates from various
local merchants.
The Teacher of the Year is selected after a comprehensive
screening and application process, which includes a written
and videotaped portfolio. Candidates are interviewed by the
selection committee.
The seven finalists were chosen from a field of 125 school-based
nominees from all over Wake County, which was narrowed to
21 semifinalists.
The remaining six finalists will receive a $250 cash prize
also from CCB and an array of other gifts.
The other finalists were Susan Banks of Combs Elementary,
Mary Davis of Centennial Campus Middle, Anna Evenhouse of
Salem Elementary, Elic A. Senter of Wakefield High, Pamela
Smith of Lynn Road Elementary and Christy Story of Conn Elementary.
School Connection is published electronically every other week for everyone interested in the Wake County Public Schools. Is what you read in this edition helpful? What information would you like to see in future editions? Contact me by calling 850-1829 or e-mailing bposton@wcpss.net.
Bill Poston
Wake County Public School System
Communications Department
3600 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
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