11/05/2022
I am still processing being a finalist! It is humbling when you are recognized for doing what you love and doing it well. Thank you to everyone who has supported Faulcon Prep Academy. It has truely been a journey to a dream.
DECAL and Georgia Foundation for Early Care and Learning have named their six finalists for Georgia’s Early Childhood Educators of the Year for 2022-2023. The program, which started last year, recognizes outstanding early education teachers of children ages birth to preschool with an Infant Teacher of the Year (0-18 months), Toddler Teacher of the Year (15-36 months), and Preschool Teacher of the Year (36-48 months).
Finalists in the Infant Category are DiAnne Coggins from The Learning Village in College Park, and Mary Williams from Kid’s Express Learning Center in Hawkinsville; finalists in the Toddler Category are Elianne Aguilera from Eli’s Academy in Lawrenceville and Janet Thomas from The Right Start Early Learning Center II in Palmetto; and finalists in the Preschool Category are Ashley Langley from The Waseca School in Athens and Tierra Faulcon from Faulcon Prep Academy in Smyrna.
Each finalist will receive $500 from the Georgia Foundation for Early Care + Learning. Three winners will be announced in December. They will each receive $3,000 for their personal use, $2,000 for a classroom makeover, and up to $2,500 for their school to cover travel costs and stipends for substitute teachers as the teacher fulfills their duties as Georgia’s Early Childhood Educators of the Year.
Winners serve as ambassadors for Georgia’s Early Childhood Educators of the Year program through activities related to modeling effective classroom practices and public speaking appearances.
Program directors working with early childhood teachers dedicated to making a difference in the lives of young children were asked to nominate applicants for Georgia’s Early Childhood Educator of the Year through an online application. Winners are selected from six semi-finalists who each received a classroom observation and faced a panel during a personal interview.
“Early child development helps build a foundation for lifelong learning, behavior, and health,” said DECAL Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs. “The experiences children have in early care and education programs help shape the brain and the child’s capacity to learn, develop important social skills, and respond to daily stresses and challenges in a healthy manner. This new program honors exemplary educators and is another way to celebrate those teachers who are helping to build that foundation for lifelong learning and healthy development.”
Among other requirements, candidates for Georgia’s Early Childhood Educators of the Year must have been employed as a lead teacher in the age group for which they were nominated at a licensed 2 or 3-star Quality Rated child care provider that is in good standing with all programs administered by DECAL. They also had to have a minimum of three years of experience as a lead teacher and plan to continue as a lead teacher in the 2021-2022 school year.
“We are thrilled to continue this special recognition for Georgia’s Early Childhood Educators of the Year,” said Laura Wagner, Executive Director for the Georgia Foundation for Early Care + Learning. “The experiences children have in their classrooms help shape the brain and the child’s capacity to learn and to get along with others. We can’t say enough about the role these earliest teachers play in the life of a child, placing them on a successful path to lifelong learning.”
