Chapel Hill High School teacher Kimberly Jones will be up for consideration of North Carolina’s Teacher of the Year award after receiving another honor.
The school district surprised Jones, who was named the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Teacher of the Year in June, with the regional North Central Teacher of the Year award during a school-wide assembly on Friday. Representatives from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Mary Scroggs Elementary School teacher and 2021 North Carolina Teacher of the Year Eugenia Floyd, district leadership and Jones’ family members were there to share Jones’ win.
A release from the school district said Jones was not expecting the announcement and needed a few minutes to celebrate before the English teacher spoke to the gathered crowd.
“Our hope is that you take every opportunity that’s given to you, that you take every lesson that we teach you in our curriculum and through our actions,” she said to students. “If you’ve been in my class, you know I do everything I can to make the learning real. You all have the power everyday to build a better world for yourselves, your children and all of us.”
Kimberly Jones poses on December 9 after being awarded the Regional Teacher of the Year award. (Photo via Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.)
“Kim Jones is an equity-centered teacher who has high expectations for all students,” Chapel Hill High School Principal Charles Blanchard said in Friday’s release. “She fosters an outstanding culture of community in her classroom that makes every student feel valued. All students should be blessed to have a ‘Mrs. Jones’ in their lives.”
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund selects nine Regional Teachers of the Year in North Carolina based on their “dedication, implementation of and their ability to motivate students to achieve their highest potential,” according to CHCCS. 2022 marks the third consecutive year the district has seen one of its educators win the North Central Teacher of the Year honor, with East Chapel Hill High School’s Brian Link winning in 2021 and Floyd winning in 2020.
Jones’ selection means she is now in the running for the Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s 2023 North Carolina Teacher of the Year, who will be announced in the spring. The winner will spend the following academic year traveling across North Carolina and serving as an ambassador for teachers. Past awards have also included a new vehicle, a cash prize and a trip to the National Teacher of the Year Conference, paid for by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
Photo via Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines