teacher of the year

PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. -- For the second year in a row, the Pulaski County Special School District (PCSSD) is participating in the Arkansas Department of Education’s (ADE) Teacher of the Year program. Through a rigorous selection process, each of PCSSD’s 26 schools as well as the Center of Innovation, selected one educator as their school teacher of the year. 

The District hosted an awards breakfast on Friday, May 13 to recognize the school winners and announce the PCSSD Teacher of the Year. The 2021-2022 PCSSD Teacher of the Year is Sylvan Hills Middle School teacher Mr. Bokari Williams. Last year’s winner, Shanon Hum, was also from Sylvan Hills Middle School.

Wiliams has been an educator for 15 years, focusing primarily on the secondary level in the area of English Language Arts (ELA). Williams has served as an ELA teacher at Sylvan Hills Middle for the past two school years. Prior to working in PCSSD, he worked in the North Little Rock School District as well as the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District. Prior to moving to Arkansas, Williams worked in education in Massachusetts.

In a letter of recommendation, Sylvan Hills Middle School principal Mr. Mike Hudgeons said, ”[Williams] seemingly never has a bad day; he’s unfailingly pleasant to staff and students alike each and every day.” “[He] is one of those teachers that kids talk about years later when they recall who had a positive influence on them and the future,” Hudgeons added.

Williams was selected out of 27 other PCSSD school-level winners and will now move on to represent the District in the 2023 Arkansas Teacher of the Year Program. In addition to receiving a plaque, each school winner will receive a check for $100. The District winner will receive a check for $500.

PCSSD followed the Arkansas Department of Education Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Teacher of the Year guidelines, including the teacher’s impact on school culture, leadership in and out of the classroom, and student connections.

SCHOOLTEACHER
BAKER ELEMENTARYDawn Bartels
CATO ELEMENTARYKristy Robinson
CHENAL ELEMENTARYCaitlin Spencer
COLLEGE STATION ELEMENTARYTonya Colen
CRYSTAL HILL ELEMENTARYLaura Campbell
DAISY BATES ELEMENTARYErica Mack
HARRIS ELEMENTARYJackie Hayes
LANDMARK ELEMENTARYAudrian Harville
LAWSON ELEMENTARYBettye Mhoon
OAK GROVE ELEMENTARYJacqueline Thompson
OAKBROOKE ELEMENTARYBrittany Slayton
PINE FOREST ELEMENTARYErin Dearasaugh
ROBINSON ELEMENTARYElise Moore
SHERWOOD ELEMENTARYRachel Gammill
SYLVAN HILLS ELEMENTARYBeth Hendrix
WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON ELEMENTARYChristy Hobbs
MAUMELLE MIDDLEAndrea Johnson
MILLS MIDDLEEthan Moore
ROBINSON MIDDLEDawn Irby
SYLVAN HILLS MIDDLEBokari Williams
SYLVAN HILLS JUNIOR HIGHCallie Seats
MAUMELLE HIGHDavid White
MILLS UNIVERSITY STUDIES HIGHGregory Hamblock
ROBINSON HIGHMichelle Young
SYLVAN HILLS HIGHPrentice Dupins
CENTER OF INNOVATIONLaTiya Cooper
DRIVEN VIRTUAL ACADEMYClarence Guy