Each of the five schools in the DeKalb County School System have chosen their nominees for Teachers of the Year for 2012.Beth Cantrell was named top instructor at Smithville Elementary School, where she teaches kindergarten.Bethany Rigsby was picked as Northside Elementary’s Teacher of the Year.Rigsby is a third-grade teacher at the school.Karen Pelham, an eighth-grade teacher, took the honor at DeKalb Middle School.Jane Watson received the nod at DeKalb West School.Watson teaches fifth grade.Donna Emmons, an English and jounalism instructor at DeKalb County High School, is the DCHS Teacher of the Year for 2012.Three of the teachers from DeKalb will be chosen to compete for regional accolades in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, grades five through eight and grades nine through 12.The Tennessee Teacher of the Year program begins on the local school level, moves to the system level, then the regional level, and to the state level, where finalists compete for the Tennessee Teacher of the Year award .Cantrell and Rigsby are both up for the system-wide nomination in the pre-k through fourth-grade category.One of these teachers will be tapped to represent DeKalb County in regional competition.In grades five through eight, Watson and Pelham will compete to represent the local system in the regional race.Donna Emmons is the sole nominee in ninth- through 12th-grade division, and she will automatically go on to represent DeKalb County in regional competition. Regional winners will move on to state competition, where they will represent DeKalb County at the state-wide contest in March.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.This program is sponsored annually by the Tennessee Department of Education and the Niswonger Foundation.The Tennessee Teacher of the Year represents Tennessee at the National Teacher of the Year competition, which is sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers and Scholastic, Inc.Teachers of the Year are selected competitively through five cycles: Building, System, Field Service Center Region, Grand Division and State.Teachers selected at each cycle receive local recognition and awards underwritten by local sources. State recognition/awards include a banquet honoring the nine State Teacher of the Year finalists and certificates of appreciation from the Governor.