Teachers at Archer, Mountain View, GSMST, Crews, Baggett, Freeman's Mill and the International Transition Center are among 25 semifinalists.
Seven teachers at Lawrenceville schools are among the 25 semifinalists for 2028 Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year. That is more than a quarter of the list.
Gwinnett County Public Schools picked the semifinalists from the Teachers of the Year chosen by colleagues at each school. The seven, as the district listed them:
| Teacher | School | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Deanne King | Archer High | French, grades 10-12 |
| Veronica Cross | Mountain View High | Engineering, grades 9-12 |
| Rachel Manspeaker | Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology | AP Statistics and AP Calculus AB, grades 10-12 |
| Aziza Kareem | International Transition Center | U.S. history, grades 9-11 |
| Eboni Jones | Crews Middle | Reading Connections, grades 6-8 |
| Robin Colwell | Baggett Elementary | Theater, pre-K to grade 5 |
| Michelle Kriete | Freeman’s Mill Elementary | English to Speakers of Other Languages, grades 2-3 |
All seven schools have Lawrenceville addresses, from Archer on New Hope Road to Mountain View on Sunny Hill Road.
What happens next
The district sets out the steps on its Teacher of the Year page:
- A committee scores the semifinalists’ applications and picks six finalists in November.
- The committee interviews the finalists and visits their classrooms.
- It names a winner for elementary, middle and high school, and one overall winner.
The winners will be named at a banquet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, 2027. The overall winner serves as the district’s Teacher of the Year from July 2027 to June 2028 and applies for the state title in fall 2027, the district said.
Teachers of the Year at every school on our guide
Teachers at each school nominate and vote for their own Teacher of the Year. These are the honorees at the public schools on our Lawrenceville schools guide, as the district listed them. Semifinalists are in bold.
High schools
| School | Teacher of the Year | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Archer High | Deanne King | French, grades 10-12 |
| Brookwood High | Ginny Hanley | AP Precalculus and AP Calculus AB, grades 9-12 |
| Central Gwinnett High | Lonnie Davis | Dance, grades 9-12 |
| Collins Hill High | Lindsay McCord | Language arts, grade 11 |
| Discovery High | Damarrio Holloway | AP Statistics and Advanced Financial Algebra, grade 12 |
| Grayson High | Andre DeRamus | Music industry and music technology, grades 9-12 |
| Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology | Rachel Manspeaker | AP Statistics and AP Calculus AB, grades 10-12 |
| Gwinnett Online Campus | Angel Parks | Health and physical education, grades 9-12 |
| International Transition Center | Aziza Kareem | U.S. history, grades 9-11 |
| Maxwell High School of Technology | Lei Threeths | Graphic design, grades 10-12 |
| Mountain View High | Veronica Cross | Engineering, grades 9-12 |
| Phoenix High | Missy Dishman | Science, grades 9-12 |
Middle schools
| School | Teacher of the Year | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Creekland Middle | Dara Deans | Language arts, grade 8 |
| Crews Middle | Eboni Jones | Reading Connections, grades 6-8 |
| Five Forks Middle | Robert Jones | Social studies, grade 7 |
| Jordan Middle | Christian Sutton | Health and physical education, grades 6-8 |
| Moore Middle | Tamara Cox | Special education, autism spectrum disorder level 2, grades 6-8 |
| Richards Middle | Heston McCranie | Orchestra, grades 6-8 |
| Sweetwater Middle | Beth Eubank | Special education, mild intellectual disabilities, social studies, grades 6-8 |
Elementary schools
| School | Teacher of the Year | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Alford Elementary | DeAndrea Bush | Fourth grade |
| Baggett Elementary | Robin Colwell | Theater, pre-K to grade 5 |
| Benefield Elementary | Christy Gray | Early Intervention Program, grades K-5 |
| Bethesda Elementary | Danielle Dickey | Gifted education, grades K-5 |
| Cedar Hill Elementary | Cliff McGaughey | Fourth grade |
| Corley Elementary | Amanda Rodriguez | First grade |
| Craig Elementary | Madison Buckman | Fifth grade |
| Freeman’s Mill Elementary | Michelle Kriete | English to Speakers of Other Languages, grades 2-3 |
| Gwin Oaks Elementary | Carolyn G. Johnston | Special education, language arts and math, grades 3 and 5 |
| Jackson Elementary | Teosha Teasley | Math, science and social studies, grade 5 |
| Jenkins Elementary | Melinda Maney | Early intervention, grades K-5 |
| Kanoheda Elementary | Jerrica Morales | Special education, autism spectrum disorder level 2, kindergarten |
| Lawrenceville Elementary | Resheemah Pickering | Special education, pre-K |
| Lovin Elementary | Amanda Dodd | Music, pre-K to grade 5 |
| McKendree Elementary | Kaitlyn Frederick | Language arts, grade 5 |
| Rock Springs Elementary | Judith Lynn King | Music, grades K-5 |
| Simonton Elementary | Jennifer Colclough | Language arts, math, science and social studies, grade 5 |
| Taylor Elementary | Micheal Barron | Math, science and social studies, grade 5 |
| Winn Holt Elementary | Hannah Chan | Math, science and social studies, grade 5 |
| Woodward Mill Elementary | Jennifer Jones | Language arts and social studies, grade 5 |
What it means for you
- Congratulate a teacher. Each school’s Teacher of the Year was chosen by the people who work beside them.
- Check back in November. We will report whether any of the seven makes the final six.
- Know your school. Our Lawrenceville schools guide has every school’s address, grades and contact details.
Have a photo of your school’s Teacher of the Year? Send it to hello@lawrencevilledaily.com with permission to publish, and we will add it.
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