By PAT NEWMAN
pnewman@thecitizennews.com

Fayette County High School teacher Linda Brem was named Fayette County's Teacher of the Year Thursday night during a gala staged at Sams Auditorium.

Brem is the county's first nationally board certified teacher. She has taught English at Fayette County High School for 20 years and serves as the English department head. In her acceptance speech, Brem said she felt “great emotions of humility and great emotions of pride” being honored as the county's top teacher. “Life's truest moments are captured in the paradox.”

Her pride, she explained, came from the experience of being among such exceptional educators, especially the two finalists, Cathy Nix of Rising Starr Middle School and Jill Kirkland of Whitewater Middle School. “On the other side of the coin, I have feelings of humility... I cannot claim it as my own. So many people along the way have helped me with this recognition...”

Debbie Condon, chairman of the Fayette County Board of Education, noted in her remarks that the 23 nominees for Teacher of the Year represented the “tip of the talented iceberg... we have so many fine teachers here in Fayette County.” Among the qualities that defined the county's top teacher were the beliefs that the “instruction of students was a profession, not just a job, and the ability to nurture and at the same time, mentor students,” Condon added.

“These teachers go the extra mile,” Condon said. “They generate an environment conducive to learning.

“If we view teaching as an art, then we are in the presence of Fayette County's masters,” she said.

As Teacher of the Year, Brem will compete next year at the state level. She was awarded a Dell computer from Georgia School Equipment, a pendulum clock from Coca-Cola, a Wal-Mart gift certificate, a specially designed Teacher of the Year award from Balfour, a gift certificate and travel voucher from the Fayette County Schools staff development office for travel to an educational conference of her choice, and a Mary Kay gift basket.

Each school in Fayette named a Teacher of the Year, and those named served as nominees for county-wide Teacher of the Year. They were Lori Boggs, Braelinn Elementary; Patt Williams, Brooks Elementary; Tina Patrick, Burch Elementary; Joyce Simpson, East Fayette Elementary; Barbara Howell, Fayette Middle; Lin Zacherl, Fayette Intermediate; Ashli Wade, Fayetteville Primary; Brenda Cannington, Flat Rock Middle; Carol Long, Huddleston Elementary; Nancy Shepack, J.C. Booth Middle; Carol Hancock, Kedron Elementary; Rhoda Rush, McIntosh High; Mary Ann White, North Fayette Elementary; Lynn Shirley, Oak Grove Elementary; Alice Elfer, Peachtree City Elementary; Lisa Coley, Peeples Elementary; Anthony Pattiz, Sandy Creek High; Pan Foster, Spring Hill Elementary; Donna Cates, Starr's Mill High, and Margaret Garret, Tyrone Elementary.