MYRTLE BEACH, SC – South Carolina’s State Superintendent of Education paid a surprise visit Monday to two local teachers.
In Horry County, Molly Spearman stopped in to tell Joey Trail he’s one of five finalists for South Carolina “Teacher of the Year.” Trail teaches seventh grade Language Arts at Forestbrook Middle School. “What i’m trying to do is teach kids to be authentic, their authentic selves, to be kind and to be better citizens, because that’s the ultimate. But hopefully they will remember this tall weird guy with a weird sense of humor that was a kind person and tried to do the right thing and hopefully they can emulate that.”
In Florence, Superintendent Spearman announced a second “Teacher of the Year” finalist. Dr. Leah Barley is a 1st-6th grade Language and Writing teacher at Royall Elementary School in Florence School District One. She is also an Education and Leadership Professor. Dr. Barley attributes her success in the classroom to building positive relationships with students, parents, and the school community. She believes her greatest contribution in education is giving back to the profession by mentoring novice teachers. She achieves this goal by serving as a Teacher Cadet and new teacher mentor. “Leah is deserving of this special recognition,” said Spearman. “She is a model educator and an excellent representative for Florence District One for this year’s statewide competition,” said Spearman.
The state winner will be announced in April. The winner will get $25,000, and the use of a brand new BMW for one year.