Sixteen elementary, five middle, and five high school teachers were recently named by GCPS as semifinalists in the race for the 2013 Teacher of the Year title. The semifinalists listed below were selected from 131 local Teachers of the Year who were nominated by their colleagues.

The 2013 Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year will be named at an annual banquet in November. Once selected, the 2013 Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year will compete to become Georgia’s Teacher of the Year.

Elementary School Level Semifinalists:

• Amber Russell of Anderson-Livsey Elementary -- Gifted Education and Accelerated Mathematics Teacher (Grades 2-5)
• Lyndsey Klempay of Bethesda Elementary -- Mathematics Specialist (Grades K-5)
• Debbie Taylor of Brookwood Elementary -- Gifted Mathematics and Intervention Teacher (Grade 5)
• Anne-Lise Botting of Chattahoochee Elementary -- Special Education Teacher - Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (Grades K-2)
• Sarah Boyce of Chesney Elementary -- Special Education Teacher - Interrelated Resource (Grades K-5)
• Michelle Webb of Gwin Oaks Elementary -- 3rd Grade Teacher
• Sharon T. Mauney of Harbins Elementary -- 1st Grade Teacher
• Tracy Evans of Harris Elementary -- Science Teacher (Grades K-5)
• Lindsay Kyle of Head Elementary -- Speech Language Pathologist (Grades Pre-K-5)
• Katie Turner of Level Creek Elementary -- 4th Grade Teacher
• Amy B. Lazic of Lovin Elementary -- Special Education Teacher (Pre-K)
• Paul Lovett of McKendree Elementary -- 3rd Grade Teacher
• Jennifer Kim of Meadowcreek Elementary -- EIP Reading Teacher (Grade 5)
• Kym Crosby of Mulberry Elementary -- Visual Arts Teacher (Grades K-5)
• Erica Leach of Walnut Grove Elementary -- Mathematics Specialist (Grades K-5)
• Erin Hogan of Winn Holt Elementary -- 1st Grade Teacher

Middle School Level Semifinalists:

• Deborah Johnson of Berkmar Middle -- Mathematics Teacher (Grade 8)
• Eleanor Ridley of Crews MS -- Social Studies Teacher (Grade 6)
• Celisa Edwards of Dacula Middle -- 7th Grade Teacher
• Kinsey Edwards of Lanier Middle -- Orchestra Teacher (Grades 6-8)
• Heidi Mikulecky of Richards Middle -- Language Arts Teacher (Grade 6)

High School Level Semifinalists:

• Laura Moates Stanley of Brookwood High -- Band Teacher (Grades 9-12)
• Debbie Grant of Maxwell High School of Technology -- Culinary Arts and Food Science Teacher (Grades 11 and 12)
• Jay Nebel of Norcross High -- World History Teacher (Grades 9 and 10)
• McCall Grosso of North Gwinnett High -- Language Arts Teacher (Grade 10)
• Dean Landers of Peachtree Ridge High -- Physics Teacher (Grades 11 and 12)