Smithville Elementary School kindergarten teacher Tanya Howard received the John Isabell Memorial DeKalb County Teacher of the Year award at the eighth annual Teacher of the Year banquet last week. The award was presented to by Interim Director of Schools Dr. Danielle Collins Tuesday night at the Elizabeth Chapel Baptist Church.

The DeKalb County Teacher of the Year Award was recently named for John Isabell, a long-time local educator and former President of the DeKalb County Education Association, who passed away last year after a battle with cancer.

Steve Officer served as keynote speaker at the banquet.

Five local teachers, Jennifer Griffith, a third-grade math, science, and social studies teacher at Northside Elementary School; Lori Pryor, a third-grade self-contained teacher at DeKalb West School; Tad Webb, a seventh-grade math teacher at DeKalb Middle School; and Sonja House, a ninth-grade English/ and 10th-12th grade Theatre Arts teacher at DeKalb County High School were chosen as Teacher of the Year at their schools.

The Tennessee Teacher of the Year Program is designed to promote recognition, respect and appreciation for teachers; to stimulate interest in teaching as a career; and to encourage public involvement in education. The Teachers of the Year were introduced by the principals at their schools, who presented them with a school bell award.