Britney Gulley has been named as the 2021 DeKalb County School District Teacher of the Year. The chemistry and ACT prep teacher at DeKalb County High School received the news during a surprise visit to her classroom last week by Director of Schools Patrick Cripps, DCHS Principal Randy Jennings, DCHS Assistant Principal Jenny Norris, and Supervisors of Instruction Michelle Burklow and Dr. Kathy Bryant.
In addition to the “John Isabell Memorial Award” Gulley was also presented with a school bell award, a floral arrangement, and a certificate giving the teacher a well-deserved day off from school.
“Britney is definitely a special person to me,” Director Cripps told the Smithville Review. She is one of my former students when I was in the administration here at the high school and it’s great to see her growing up, not only personally but professionally. She has been accepted into the state’s assistant principal program and we are excited for her for that, that she wants to go into that program to broaden her career horizons. She would be a great administrator. She is very smart, she’s personable, a hard worker, and very dedicated to her students.”
“It’s an honor, it really is,” Gulley told the Review. “I have wanted to be a teacher for a long time and it’s an honor to know that my colleagues think that much of me to have nominated and voted for me. It’s just an exciting moment in my life.”
Gulley has been teaching for six years, all at DeKalb County High School, teaching chemistry her entire career. She said that one day she would like to continue her career as an administrator, leading not only the students but her colleagues as well. She has also considered becoming a professor of education at some point in her career.
“I love what I do every day, and I love these kids,” Gulley continued. “I love that I got to go to college, and come back [to DCHS] and be a part of the education system that gave so much to me when I was here.”
Gulley was among five local teachers that were recognized, one for each school. The others honored were second grade teacher Janet Trapp at Smithville Elementary School; eighth grade ELA (English Language Arts) teacher Galen Brown at DeKalb Middle School; third grade ELA and ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher Allison Collier of Northside Elementary School; and Martha Damron, a seventh grade math and science teacher at DeKalb West School.
Director Cripps and other school administrators also surprised Trapp and Brown on Monday, then Damron and Collier at their classrooms on Tuesday. Each were presented with a “Teacher of the Year” award, along with floral arrangements, school bells , and certificates granting them a day off from work.
Trapp said that she has been teaching for twenty nine years. “I first started out at DeKalb West School. I taught four years. I moved here [Smithville Elementary] and taught second grade for a few years, and then started kindergarten 18 or 19 years, went to pre-K for a year, and now I am back as a second grade. So, I’ve been a little bit of everywhere, but kindergarten is probably where my heart is.”
“I’m very honored because I feel like there are so many good teachers out there. For them to name me Teacher of the Year makes me feel very special,” Trapp said.
Brown said she has been a teacher for 12 years, working in Warren County for six years, before moving to DeKalb County. She taught third and fifth grades at Warren County, then taught third grade at DeKalb West School for a year. Brown then took ten years off from teaching to raise two children before returning to the profession at DeKalb Middle School, a position she has held now for five years.
“I work with some amazing coworkers,” Brown said. I was stunned, but honestly I think that is one of the things that helps teachers think maybe they are doing the right thing. I very much appreciate it.”
Damron is an eighteen year teacher at DeKalb West School. “I feel like every teacher here deserves this award, but it’s an honor for me to have been chosen Teacher of the Year on the school level at DeKalb West,” she said.
Collier has been teaching third grade for six years, all at Northside Elementary School. “It feels amazing, and I’m very blessed to have the students that I’ve had in the past and right now. Even though this year has been challenging we have made the best of it. I am so happy to work here,” Collier said.
Dr. Kathy Bryant, Supervisor of Instruction for Grades 6-12, said the School System Teacher of the Year can choose to compete at the District and Region level with hopes of vying for the state title.
“When teachers are first nominated by their peers for Teacher of the Year, there’s a ballot and they’re voted on within each school. Once a teacher is identified as Teacher of the Year, they have to apply to be District and Region Teacher of the Year. That consists of basically selling themselves and talking about everything they have done throughout their whole career to be deserving of Teacher of the Year. It’s actually a lot of work. Sometimes we have teachers that wish not to compete. They are very happy with being Teacher of the Year at their school. We are proud of our Teachers of the Year and would put them up against anybody but when they are able to compete regionally and at the state level that is big,” said Dr. Bryant.
This is the 14th annual Teacher of the Year observance. An awards banquet, which has always commemorated the event, was not held this year due to COVID-19 concerns.
Collier - The 2021 Northside Elementary School Teacher of the Year is Allison Collier, a third grade ELA (English Language Arts) and ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher. Pictured from left are Northside Elementary Assistant Principal Beth Pafford, NES Principal Karen Knowles, NES Teacher of the Year Allison Collier, Director of Schools Patrick Cripps, Supervisor of Instruction Dr. Kathy Bryant, and Supervisor of Instruction Michelle Burklow.
