Instructor Susie Rahlmann [right] was named the District Teacher of the Year, Elementary Grade Span TOY and Kindergarten Center TOY by Principal Carol Metz.
Rahlmann has been teaching kindergarten for 14 years: two years in Greenville, then she was hired at the Poplar Bluff Kindergarten Center the first year it opened.
Speech instructor Donna Baller [right] was named Middle School Grade Span Teacher of the Year and 5th & 6th Grade Center TOY by Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum/Instruction Patty Robertson, who was filling in for Principal Mike Owen.
Baller took her first post as speech/language pathologist in 1996. She began with the Poplar Bluff School District in 2009.
Communication arts instructor Kay Campbell was named Secondary Grade Span Teacher of the Year and Senior High TOY by Principal Mike Kiehne.
Campbell has been teaching communication arts for the past five years at PBHS. Her first year in education was at Perry County District 32, teaching eighth grade language arts and reading; she spent four years at Greenville High School, teaching language arts to freshmen and sophomores; and she spent 20 years at Lone Oak High School in Paducah, teaching language arts and journalism to seniors.
Science instructor Vic Clark [left] was named Junior High Teacher of the Year by Principal Bob Case.
Clark has served as a science teacher at PBJHS for the past eight years, as well as assistant football and track coach. He has a total of 42 years of teaching, coaching and athletic administration experience, having been employed at various colleges and schools in Indiana and Kentucky.
Health occupations instructor Carmen Hoggard [left] was named Technical Career Center Teacher of the Year by Director Jean Winston.
Hoggard began as a health occupation instructor in 1998. She worked as a nursing assistant for seven years prior, then as a registered nurse for 12 years.
Physical education instructor Chris Smith was named Early Childhood Center Teacher of the Year by Principal JoAnne Westbrook.
Smith began at the Early childhood Center in 2010, also serving as assistant varsity football coach and head ninth grade coach at PBHS. Additionally, he coached baseball here. His coaching career began at East Prairie High School in 2009.
Third grade instructor Juli Schalk [left] was named Eugene Field Elementary Teacher of the Year by Principal Jennifer Taylor.
Schalk has worked for the last six years as a third grade teacher at Eugene Field.
Fourth grade instructor Jennifer Goins [right] was named Lake Road Elementary Teacher of the Year by Principal Erica Weadon.
Goins is in her second year at Lake Road. She taught at Oak Grove Elementary for four years prior.
Fourth grade instructor Joy Burke [left] was named Oak Grove Elementary Teacher of the Year by Principal Jenifer Richardson.
Burke has been employed by Poplar Bluff Schools for 23 years, having taught third grade for 16 years, fourth grade for five, sixth grade for one and adult basic education for 10 years simultaneously. Her first year of teaching was at Neelyville in 1988. She started at Oak Grove in 2001.
Categorical consultant Wray Ann Williams was named O'Neal Elementary Teacher of the Year by Principal Lorenzo Sandlin.
Williams has served as program coordinator of the intensive needs program at O'Neal for the past five years. She started her career with Poplar Bluff Schools as a paraprofessional at the Early Childhood Center in 1993.
To read the full story about each of these outstanding educators, check out the DAR's 10-part series, which began Wednesday, April 10. Also be sure to support our teachers by liking their photos on our school Facebook page.
