Georgia Teacher of the Year Was Nurtured as a Student
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I bounced a lot from house to house and needed support from teachers. — Amanda Miliner, 2015 Georgia Teacher of the Year
manda Miliner, a fourth-grade teacher from Miller Elementary School in Warner Robins, is the 2015 Georgia Teacher of the Year. As the only child of a single mother who was active duty in the United States Air Force, Miliner depended on her school relationships, especially her teachers. “I bounced a lot from house to house, and I found the need for support from teachers,” says Miliner in speaking to her alma mater, Valdosta State University. A 2006 graduate, she was the first in her family to graduate from college. Volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters while in college changed the course of Miliner’s life. Her “little sister” was taught by Julie Hiers at nearby S.L. Mason Elementary. “She is an amazing teacher,” Miliner says. “When I saw her teaching, I changed my major from psychology to early childhood education.” Later, Miliner completed her student teaching with Hiers. After serving as Miss Georgia in 2006
and becoming the second runner-up in the 2007 Miss America Pageant, Miliner traveled and worked in entertainment for a year; but she felt the need to return to where she had felt most fulfilled, and within a few weeks she landed a teaching position. As host teacher for a Math Early Intervention class, Miliner’s class achieved a 100 percent pass rate in math on the CRCT for several years. In her role as Teacher of the Year, Miliner is an advocate for public education in Georgia. “She has already changed lives in her classroom, and through this platform she will change the lives of many more children in Georgia,” said State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge. “I want to give a voice to teachers,” Miliner says. “I really want people genuinely to understand the many hats and roles that teachers play. … I would love for people to spend a week—not a day, anyone can last a day—and really see what it is like as an educator.” Q
2015 Georgia Teacher of the Year Finalists Teacher
System
School
Subject
Rita L. Simmons
Atlanta
Cleveland Ave. Elem.
Gifted K-5
Rhonda Lokey
Cobb
Campbell Middle
6th Grade Social Studies
Dr. Lyn Schenbeck
Coweta
Central Educational Center
Film/Video Music, Business in Arts, Music in Medicine, String & Vocals
Michelle Peace
Early
Early County High
Spanish I, II, III,
Sarah Ballew Welch
Fannin
Fannin County High
English, Oral/Written Communications & British Literature
Nick C. Crowder
Forsyth
South Forsyth High
Engineering Education
Hyunjin Son
Gwinnett
Gwinnett School of MS&T
Physics, Foundations of Engineering &Technology
Paul D. Mixon
Heard
Heard County High
Journalism, Economics
Amanda Miliner
Houston
Miller Elementary
4th Grade
Marc Pedersen
Paulding
Paulding County High
Biology, Biotechnology & Chemistry
30 PAGE ONE
October/November 2014
