The Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation (MEEF) announced the Top Ten Honorees for the Muscogee County School District Teacher of the Year (TOTY) today, February 23^rd. The 2024 Top Ten were selected from the applications of 55 teacher Honorees – each named the Teacher of the Year for their respective schools. All Top Ten Honorees were notified at their schools as MEEF Board members and selection committee members surprised them in their classroom with the announcement. Top Ten Honorees are:

MEEF recognizes teachers who have dedicated themselves to excellence in the classroom. The Top Ten Honorees will be interviewed by the MEEF Selection Committee, which is made up of business and educational leaders in Columbus. After the interviews, the Selection Committee will select the Top Three Honorees, who will then be observed in their classrooms. The 2024 MCSD Teacher of the Year will be announced at the Gala on Thursday, May 9^th, at the Trade Center to an expected crowd of over 1,100 supporters of excellence in education. 

"The process of reading all 55 applications gives those who lead our communities a profound perspective on the everyday endeavors of teachers," remarked Marquette McKnight, the Executive Director of MEEF and a member of the Selection Committee. "The committee is consistently filled with wonder and admiration for the tireless devotion and the steadfast determination teachers have to connect with, and teach their students. We were deeply impressed with these teachers enthusiasm for their profession; and their innovative solutions to help students achieve their full potential."

One of the biggest benefits of being named Top Ten is it allows these teachers to apply to be one of MEEF’s Harvard Fellows, McKnight explained. "The Harvard Fellows opportunity significantly enhances professional growth, elevating teachers to become even more exceptional leaders for their students and other teachers in MCSD.”

MEEF’S 2024 TOTY Selection Committee members are Josh Reynolds-Chair, TSYS/Global Payments; Vanessa Ellis, 2022 MCSD Teacher of the Year; Ken Henson, Attorney/Developer; Sheryl Green, 2015 MCSD Teacher of the Year; Ty Webb, W.C. Bradley; Michael Graydon, Synovus; John Dale Hester, Columbus United; Gina Smith, Keller Williams; Marquette McKnight, Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation.

The gala is open to the public and tickets to the Gala can be purchased at RiverCenter Box Office starting March 11^th, for $55 each. 

MEEF is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering educational excellence by recognizing and rewarding innovative and exceptionally effective teachers in the Muscogee County School District. The Foundation has awarded over $3 million to teachers in MCSD, through financial incentives in the TOTY program, the MEEF Grant program, the MEEF Endowment Fund, the STEM T³ program and the Harvard Fellows program.