Hilton Head Island Middle teacher honored as 2022-23 District Teacher of the Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 10, 2022 / TOY 2022-23 announcement

BEAUFORT – A veteran teacher with 22 years of teaching experience was named as the Beaufort County’s 2022-2023 District Teacher of the Year last Friday.

The selection of Dr. LaVerne Stewart, who teaches English Language Arts at Hilton Head Island Middle School, was announced during a celebration honoring teachers of the year from all of the district’s schools.

I thank the selection team and especially the teachers that I work with at Hilton Head Island Middle.

Dr. LaVerne Stewart

 

“I am completely overwhelmed. I almost have no words,” Stewart said. “I thank the selection team and especially the teachers that I work with at Hilton Head Island Middle.”

Hilton Head Island Middle School Principal Clint Austin said Stewart has a collaborative approach and works well with students and families.

“She works hard to represent not only the students, but the teachers in our building,” Austin said. “She works tirelessly to make sure she’s providing the best outcomes for our students.”

The four other finalists for 2022-2023 District Teacher of the Year were Kinsey Butler at Bluffton Middle School; Justine Hardy at Battery Creek High School; Karri Kearns at May River High School; and Jennifer Lyles at Coosa Elementary School.

Stewart’s educational philosophy is that every child can learn and should experience success in the classroom. She wrote in her Teacher of the Year application that she believes with the right motivation, direction, and a strong foundation any child can be taught the joys of learning and connect to the world around them.

Stewart is a second generation English Language Arts (ELA) educator. Her mother, Dr. Vernell Speaks-Stewart, was also a 7^th grade ELA educator in Beaufort County.

“I’m doing my best to honor her memory and who she was as an educator in Beaufort County School District,” Stewart said. “What she instilled in me I want to put into my students, to pass on that legacy of love of reading and learning, and just life in general.”

Stewart holds a doctorate degree in Christian Education from Cathedral Bible College; a Master of Education in gifted and talented education from Converse College; and a Master of Science degree from Wheelock College. She has also earned an Educational Specialist in Education Administration degree from SC State University.

Superintendent Rodriguez celebrates Dr. LaVerne Stewart being named District Teacher of the Year, alongside her HHIMS principal Clint Austin.

 

Becoming District Teacher of the Year is a three-step process that begins when school-level teachers of the year are selected in April. Those wishing to compete for District Teacher of the Year submit detailed applications by the end of July. 

In the second step, a selection committee consisting of parents, former educators, and community leaders from across Beaufort County reviews the applications and rates them using a numerical scoring system.  The five highest-scoring applicants are named as finalists. 

In the third step, the finalists are interviewed by a separate review committee again composed of judges from across the county. The judges scored candidates based on how well they respond to questions about current education issues.  After those interviews, the panel selects the District Teacher of the Year in September, and that person represents Beaufort County in the South Carolina State Teacher of the Year program. Finalists for the state program will be announced in February.

2022-2023 Teachers of the Year

School	Teacher of the Year
Battery Creek High	Justine Hardy*
Beaufort Elementary	Paige Grennan
Beaufort High	Dawn Peebles
Beaufort Middle	Jordan Pender
Beaufort-Jasper ACE	Edwin Tucker
Bluffton Elementary, ECC	Laura Bradley
Bluffton High	Jeron Martinez
Bluffton Middle	Kinsey Butler*
Broad River Elementary	Tracy Maxwell
Coosa Elementary	Jennifer Lyles*
H. E. McCracken Middle	Kelly McMahan
Hilton Head ECC	Teresa Nelson
Hilton Head Elementary (IB)	Helen Ashton
Hilton Head Island Creative Arts, Daufuskie Island	Emily Jeffords
Hilton Head Island High	Garret Talarczyk
Hilton Head Island Middle	Dr. Laverne Stewart*
Joseph Shanklin Elementary	Cathy Cobbs
Lady’s Island Elementary	Angela Tidwell
Lady’s Island Middle	Marta Smith
May River High School	Karri Kearns*
M. C. Riley Elementary/ECC	Victoria Cockrell
Mossy Oaks Elementary	Becky Schlack-Babb
Okatie Elementary	Diane Woods
Port Royal Elementary	Kimberly Islas
Pritchardville Elementary	Rosemary Birchall
Red Cedar Elementary	Aneta Garbutt Cummings
River Ridge Academy	Lauren Borasky
Robert Smalls Intl. Academy	Amber Reeves
St. Helena Elementary, ELC	Cheilon Preston
Whale Branch E.C. High	Robert "Jack" Bryant
Whale Branch El., Davis ECC	Cindy Crosby
Whale Branch Middle	Blakely Fowler
Adult Education	Peggie Darien