In a virtual ceremony, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools named the 2020 Teacher of the Year, Principal of the Year, Classified Employee of the Year, and Assistant Principal of the Year. Called the “Core Awards”, the event is meant to highlight and celebrate the employees that not only are exceptional educators, but that live the district’s Core Values. The Core Values include equity, student-centered, accountability, integrity, high expectations, and collaboration. There were more than 150 nominees in all. Twenty-four finalists, six in each category, were showcased during the virtual ceremony. This is the third year WS/FCS has celebrated all the candidates in one district event. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the event which is normally held at the Benton Convention Center was turned into a live show on WS/FCS Cable2, the district’s educational access channel.

This year’s winners are:

Teacher of the Year: Stephanie Wallace – East Forsyth High School

Classified Employee of the Year: Patricia Horne – Carver High School

Assistant Principal of the Year: Leigh Walters – Meadowlark Middle School

Principal of the Year: Debbie McIntyre – Jefferson Elementary

The pool of licensed candidates (Teacher of the Year, Principal of the Year, Assistant Principal of the Year) includes individual school winners as well as those nominated by the individual School Improvement Teams. The teachers and principals present a portfolio that follows state guidelines and calls for a series of essays, their educational background, and their philosophies. Judging teams completed a series of interviews to determine the winners in each category.

The Classified candidates come from a variety of non-licensed positions such as Teacher’s Assistants, Media Assistants, Testing Coordinators, Parent Involvement Coordinators, Exceptional Children’s Assistants and more. These finalists were also interviewed after submitting a portfolio of essays and philosophies applicable to their role. Winners from the Principal and Teacher of the Year categories have the opportunity to advance to the statewide competitions.