Three of the Four Teachers Honored
with 2009 First-Year Teacher Awards
are CED Grads
May 1, 2009-- Four Wake County teachers have been honored with the Diane Kent-Parker First-Year Teacher Award, the award named after the late WCPSS teacher recruiter. Three of the teachers winning this top honor are graduates of NC State's College of Education.
The award winning teachers are Ryan Williams of Rand Road Elementary and College of Education alumni, Jessica Benton of Underwood Elementary, Michael Dunbar, Jr. of East Garner Middle and Austin James of Millbrook High.
Ryan Williams, Rand Road Elementary, 5th Grade Teacher - Williams’ greatest strength is his ability to form positive connections with his students, helping them to gain confidence and succeed. He has earned the respect of students, parents, and colleagues with his calm, patient demeanor and his personal motivation to learn and improve. By establishing the Helping Hands Mentoring Program at the school, Williams is able to build lifelong relationships with students. His leadership is tangible, both inside and outside of school. He is truly an asset to Rand Road Elementary!
Jessica Benton, Underwood Elementary, Special Education Teacher - Benton teaches a self-contained special education class for low incidence students. Her classroom is a place where meaningful learning occurs constantly. What makes Benton so special is that she makes it look effortless! Her hard work and dedication to her students has made her one of the most respected members of her school community. Benton spends much of her own time researching and networking around the county, advocating for the needs of her students. That unwavering commitment has truly become a life-changer for her students. She is truly an inspiration to her colleagues at Underwood Elementary. Benton graduated from NC State's CED in May 2008.
Michael Dunbar, Jr., East Garner Middle, 8th Grade Science Teacher - Dunbar is emerging as a teacher-leader who understands that hard work and collaborative planning within Professional Learning Communities are keys to finding success as a first-year teacher. He has a firm grasp of the educational strategies that will help his students find the success he expects from all of them. He is an excellent educator and team player who will always do what’s best for the students and the entire school community. He has earned the respect of his parents, students, and colleagues through his work ethic, mutual respect, and wonderful sense of humor. Dunbar is a vital part of East Garner Middle. Dunbar graduated from NC State's CED in December 2007.
Austin James, Millbrook High School, 9th Grade Math Teacher - James has proven himself to be a strong classroom teacher. He has excellent command of his content area, and he continually designs high-interest math activities to engage his students’ critical thinking skills. Through collaborative group work, individual learning assignments, and innovative manipulative activities, James makes math relevant and understandable to all learners. He coaches soccer, offers extra assistance, and gets to know his students personally. The end results are positive connections with his students, both inside and outside of the classroom. He is a gifted, energetic, and committed member of the Millbrook High community. James graduated from NC State's CED in May 2007.
NC State College of Education graduates were well represented in the nominations and the finalists for the award. Twelve of the 57 nominees were CED 2007-2008 graduates. Of those nominated, nine of the 19 finalists selected were CED alumni. Congratuations to our CED alumni winners, Jessica Benton, Michael Dunbar, Jr. and Austin James.
Diane Kent-Parker First-Year Teacher Award
The Wake County Public School System Diane Kent-Parker First-Year Teacher Award recognizes outstanding first-year elementary, middle, and high school teachers who are nominated by his or her principal and school and have shown significant professional success during his or her first year of teaching. Selection committee members then review the nominations and conduct interviews to select two winners from the elementary school level, one from the middle school level, and one from the high school level to receive this prestigious award.
Kent-Parker passed away unexpectedly in May 2006. Kent-Parker had served as the WCPSS Human Resources Department Senior Director for Teacher Recruitment and Retention. Her job was to fill Wake County classrooms with great teachers and she worked tirelessly at it. She died on the day that WCPSS held its 2006 Spring Job Fair attracting 1,600 certified teachers who were interested in coming to work in Wake County.
