2012 Georgia teacher of the year: Jadun McCarthy / Georgia. Dept. of Education

Honoring Excellence in Education
Excellence Recognition

2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year
Jadun McCarthy

Jadun McCarthy truly has Georgia on his mind and in his heart. He was born in Atlanta, but was raised in Macon (Bibb County) by his grandparents, Mrs. Amanda McCarthy and the late Mr. John McCarthy, Jr. While growing up, his grandparents instilled in him timeless values, such as honesty, fairness, dedication, and perseverance. In his grandparents' home, Jadun, and his younger brother, Antwon, were provided with myriad opportunities for growth and development. Jadun also gives credit for his development to the numerous educators who took a genuine interest in seeing him live up to his fullest potential.
Jadun is very proud of the public education that he received in the Bibb County School District. During his elementary school years, Jadun participated in the gifted education program, 4-H Club, scholars bowl team, D.A.R.E. program, and school broadcast team. In middle school, Jadun became involved with the Junior BETA Club and the PAGE Academic Bowl Tournament. Jadun was extremely busy during high school, as he participated in the BETA Club, National Honor Society, marching band, student council, scholars bowl team, and the Governor's Honors Program. Jadun was also a two-time state champion and a national finalist in DECA competitions, a PAGE STAR Student, delegate to the

"Giving students the ability and desire to fulfill their hopes, dreams, and aspirations is why I teach"
Jadun McCarthy
Hugh O'Brian Youth Foundation International Leadership Congress, and an honor graduate.
Following high school, Jadun earned a Presidential Academic Scholarship to attend Atlanta's Morehouse College. While at Morehouse, Jadun won two Honda National Scholar Bowl Championships, while serving as captain of the college's scholars bowl team. During college, Jadun also appeared on the College Edition of ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire", hosted by Regis Philbin. Jadun earned his B.A. in English from Morehouse, while graduating with honors.
After Morehouse, Jadun pursed his lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer by enrolling in the University Of Georgia (UGA) School Of Law. While at UGA Law, Jadun served

as the president of the Davenport/ Benham Chapter of the Black Law Students Association and held memberships on the Advocacy Executive Board, the Mock Trial Team, and the Joseph Henry Lumpkin Inn of Court. Jadun also completed an internship with the Fulton County (Atlanta) District Attorney's Office. In 2005, Jadun earned his Juris Doctor (JD) degree and was inducted into the Order of the Barrister.
After graduating from law school, Jadun decided that he did not want to pursue a career in prosecutorial law. Instead, Jadun enrolled in GaTAPP and began teaching at his alma mater, Northeast High School, where he has been for the last six years. In addition to teaching American and British Literature and Composition courses, Jadun serves as the school's leadership team chair, Junior Class Advisor, Senior Class Co-Advisor, and Title I/S.I.G. Coordinator.
Jadun's philosophy on education can be summed up with two words: relationships and rigor. In order for any authentic learning to occur, students must believe their teachers want to see them succeed. In addition, the curriculum and instruction must challenge the students to expand their minds and their intellect. Jadun believes it is an honor and privilege to positively impact and mold the future leaders of our state, our nation, and our world.

"Dr. McCarthy pushes all of his students to constantly strive for excellence. He forces us to dig deep and always look for areas of improvement. He never settles for anything less than our very best efforts."
Shanetra Glover
2011 Northeast Magnet High School Honor Graduate

Topics of Discussion
Topic 1 "Every Child Deserves G.R.E.A.T. Teachers!"
This discussion will focus on understanding the impact of high-quality teachers on the
lives of our students.
Topic 2 "Exceeding the Standard"
This discussion will focus on creating and implementing a standards-based classroom.
Topic 3 "Racing to the Top"
This discussion will focus on Georgia's implementation of the federal "Race to the Top" grant.

Request for Appearances
Jadun McCarthy is available to speak to education, business, civic or government groups and to provide workshops to interested educators. He is also available for presentations at professional conferences.
Request for appearances should be sent directly to Mr.
McCarthy.
E-mail: jmccarthy@gadoe.org Phone: 404.323.4102
Although no honorarium may be given, reimbursement for travel expenses (mileage, hotel, meals) associated with the visit
is expected.

About the Teacher of The Year
The Georgia Teacher of the Year (GTOY) program strives to promote and retain quality teachers. District Teachers of the Year are honored at a state recognition banquet each spring. In a surprise announcement, the GTOY is named from a pool of ten finalists. The GTOY serves as an ambassador for education, traveling the state speaking to various educators and community groups. The GTOY also competes in the National Teacher of the Year program, representing Georgia at several national conferences with other State Teachers of the Year.
2013 Teacher of the Year
Timeline
n December 2, 2011 District TOTY Application Deadline
n February 2012 Ten Finalists for GTOY Announced
n March 2012 Interviews and Evaluations
n TBD Luncheon for Finalists
n May 2012 Teacher of the Year Banquet 2013 Georgia Teacher of the Year Announced
n July 1, 2012 2013 GTOY Term of Service Begins
Sponsored by

Georgia Schools of Excellence
The Georgia Schools of Excellence in Student Achievement program honors schools from each of the state's 13 congressional districts. Elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement are awarded this distinction. The 2010 Schools of Excellence were presented with a check for $1,000 from Georgia Natural Gas TrueBlue Schools and the faculty and staff were treated to a spa day from United Healthcare.
"Becoming a Georgia School of Excellence provided an opportunity for the hard work and dedication of our teachers, parents and students to be recognized at the state level. It also allowed a connection for our school to the State Department of Education through the visit of Superintendent Barge and staff. That was quite impressive! The support from United Health Care with a "stress free day" including massages for the staff along with a monetary reward from Georgia Natural Gas was a great surprise and a wonderful addition to the state recognition!"
Principal Andrea Roper Malcom Bridge Elementary Oconee County Schools 2010 Georgia School of Excellence
"The Schools of Excellence Award was a tremendous honor for our school, system and community. To have the Schools of Excellence's logo placed on the wall and website was awesome! The sense of pride gained by this award was priceless. It validated all the hard work of putting our students first."
Principal Cecil Patterson Gray Elementary Jones County Schools 2010 Georgia School of Excellence
Sponsored by

National Blue Ribbon Schools
The U.S. Department of Education honors elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or demonstrate gains in student achievement. Schools nominated by the Georgia Department of Education attend a ceremony in
Washington, D.C.

"When a community comes together to think outside the box, mix traditional and non-traditional methodologies, and let go of focusing on a single test score, there is always a risk of not succeeding. The National Blue Ribbon award validates that what we are doing is right for kids and we are on the right track for student success."
Dr. Kristin Berryman Peachtree City Elementary School
Fayette County Schools
"We are truly blessed to have reached Blue Ribbon status. However, National Blue Ribbon Schools do not make excuses. We meet daily challenges head on and set high expectations for every student and adult that enters the doors of our school. Without a doubt, successful Blue Ribbon Schools never rest on their laurels. We are relentless in our efforts to acquire and sustain excellence. This is the only way to ensure future academic success for ALL students."
Dr. Traci Jackson Shirley Hills Elementary School
Houston County Schools

Superintendent's Recognition
Dr. John D. Barge honors excellence in education in a ceremony held four times a year. After the ceremony, Dr. Barge meets with honorees and their guests at a reception.
"I felt honored and humble in the presence of so many young, talented kids from every part of Georgia at the Superintendent's Recognition."
Seung Kwan (Bryan) Baek 2011 U.S Senate Youth Mill Creek High School
Gwinnett County Schools

The Milken Family Foundation National Educator Awards program provides public recognition and financial rewards to elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and other education professionals who are furthering excellence in education. By honoring outstanding educators, the program strives to attract, develop, motivate, and retain talented people to the challenge and adventure of teaching.

Fountain Award
The Fountain Award is named after Mr. Monty Fountain. Mr. Fountain, a teacher and coach at Alexander High School in Douglas County, was State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge's Civics teacher and coach. Mr. Fountain taught Superintendent Barge that the road to success is paved with persistence, hard work and a strong work ethic. As most teachers do, he helped Superintendent Barge write a better story for himself. This award is presented quarterly to educators.

2010-2011 Sponsors

State dollars are not used to fund recognitions events. Honoring schools, students, and teachers are made possible through generous donations.

Schools of Excellence Title Sponsor

In-Kind

Teacher of the Year Title Sponsor

Blue Bell Creameries, L.P. EdisonLearning, Inc.
Global Partnership Schools Peachtree Supplies The School Box Keith Plaques

Georgia Association of Educators
Professional Association of Georgia Educators
Georgia Teachers of the Year Association
Chick-fil-A

Sponsor Levels
Title Sponsorship $25,000+
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Platinum $24,999-$10,000
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Gold $9,999-$5,000
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Silver $4,999-$2,500
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Bronze $2,499-$1,000
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Copper $999-$500

Georgia Foundation for Public Education
In addition to the Georgia Department of Education, donations can be made to the Georgia Foundation for Public
Education. The Georgia Foundation for Public Education is a public corporation that works on behalf of the Georgia Department
of Education for charitable purposes to promote excellence in Georgia Education.
Please make donations payable to the Department of Education or the Georgia Foundation for Public Education. Gifts are tax deductible to the extent provided by the law.

For more information about the recognition programs at the Georgia Department of Education, please contact:
Keisha Ford-Jenrette, Recognitions Program Manager
Georgia Department of Education 2070 Twin Towers East, Atlanta, GA 30334 Phone: 404.657.2949 E-mail: kford@gadoe.org
Pictures courtesy of: Georgia Power Tayla Lowe Saldivia-Jones Photography
Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964); sex (Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990); or disability (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) in educational programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance.
Inquiries concerning the application of these practices of the department may be addressed to the General Counsel of the Georgia Department of Education, 2052 Twin Towers East, Atlanta 30334, (404) 656-2800