JMCSS recognizes educators with Teacher of the Year honors

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Jackson-Madison County School System is recognizing a group of teachers for preparing students with the skills they need to succeed in their future endeavors.

The local educators were at the Star Center Thursday for one passion they all share — teaching.

23 teachers from the Jackson-Madison County School System were selected for the Teacher of the Year. The educators were each chosen by their colleagues.

“It’s a blessing,” said Veronica Sesson, a teacher at Lincoln Elementary School. “I am very honored to be considered outstanding or an overall achiever for something that I do and love to do every day.”

“It’s a big honor, because the staff in my school are the ones that vote for me to be Teacher of the Year, so it’s a big honor that your co-workers think that much of you to elect you as Teacher of the Year,” said Krista O’Daniel, teacher at Community Montessori.

“Very humbled that the faculty would recognize me for this, especially since I am not a regular ed teacher. I am an activities teacher with the band,” said James Evans, band director at West Bemis Middle School.

Northeast Middle School math teacher Michelle York is one of the district teachers of the year. She also won School Teacher of the Year and Middle School Teacher of the Year. She and the school will receive a $1,000 check.

“Very humbling and very surprising. [I] had no idea that I would win Teacher of the Year this year, so that was very surprising, and I just know that there are a lot of worthy candidates in our districts, so it’s very humbling,” York said.

Sesson, York and Breanne Oldham are now finalists for the JMC School District Teacher of the Year Award.