Committees - Outstanding Teachers of the Year

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 Rotary Club of Knoxville Honors the

2011 Outstanding Teachers of the Year

Celebrating the Rotary Club of Knoxville 2011 Teachers of the Year are, left to right, Central High Principal Danny Trent, Chair of the Rotary Education-Recognition Committee Rachel Ford, Central High English-as-a-Second-Language Teacher Byron Booker, Dogwood Elementary Third Grade Teacher Kimberly McDaniel, Rotary Club of Knoxville President Brown Wright, Dogwood Elementary Principal Lana Shelton-Lowe and Knox County School Superintendent James McIntyre

May 17, 2011 Knoxville – At its May 17 meeting, the Rotary Club of Knoxville presented its tow annual Outstanding Teacher of the Year awards -- to Kimberly McDaniel, a third-grade teacher at Dogwood Elementary, and Byron Booker, who teaches English as a Second Language at Central High School.  Each winner received a check for $500 and a $250 gift certificate to A&W Office Supplies.

Celebrating the Rotary Club of Knoxville 2011 Elementary School Teacher of the Year are, left to right, Chair of the Rotary Education-Recognition Committee Rachel Ford, Knox County School Superintendent James McIntyre, Dogwood Elementary Third Grade Teacher Kimberly McDaniel, Dogwood Elementary Principal Lana Shelton-Lowe and Rotary Club of Knoxville President Brown Wright.

Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre was on hand to congratulate the winners.  "They are truly outstanding educators," said McIntyre.  "Miss McDaniel's class is a special and magical environment, and Mr. Booker's students are always engaged and on-task and successfully learning English when they are in his classroom."

Celebrating the Rotary Club of Knoxville 2011 Middle-High School Teacher of the Year are, left to right, Chair of the Rotary Education-Recognition Committee Rachel Ford, Central High Principal Danny Trent, Central High English-as-a-Second-Language Teacher Byron Booker, Knox County School Superintendent James McIntyre and Rotary Club of Knoxville President Brown Wright.

In his English as a Second Language classes, Trent teaches some 40 students from more than 16 countries.  Many arrive at Central High not knowing a word of English. 

"All the members of our committee were all inspired as we read through the nominations," said Rachel Ford, executive director of the Knoxville Symphony Society and chair of the Downtown Rotary's Education Recognition Committee.  "The toughest part was narrowing it down to just two winners, because we read about so many fantastic teachers.  One theme we noticed was that so many of the teachers referred to their work as a 'calling.'  It's not just a job or a career -- it's something they feel called to do, and I think that says a lot."