Mrs. ­­­­­­Monica Rainwater from Providence Elementary School (PES) was named the 2021-2022 Carroll County School System Teacher of the Year at the Board Meeting on Thursday, October 22, 2020.

Mrs. Rainwater has been an educator for nearly two decades and currently serves as a Kindergarten Teacher and Team Leader at PES. In addition to being named District Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Rainwater was also recognized earlier this year as a Times-Georgian Reader’s Choice Best Teacher in Carroll County. Outside the classroom, Mrs. Rainwater is passionate about serving the community, traveling, and spending time with her husband, and their two children.

Christi McLendon, Principal of Providence Elementary School stated, “All teachers have the opportunity to touch lives every day, but some truly change lives. Mrs. Rainwater’s insatiable desire to teach is contagious for her colleagues, and she leaves a permanent impression on the hearts of all of her students.”

Mrs. Monica Smith of Central High School was named Runner-up. Mrs. Smith has served students at Central High School for the past 16 years. In her free time, she enjoys being a volunteer at Woodland Camp and sharing time with her family.

“Each of these teachers are so deserving of honor and recognition for their commitment to making a difference in our classrooms and for our community. They are the best of the best, and we are excited to celebrate their success,” stated Superintendent Scott Cowart.

Nominees from each school were also recognized at the celebration as well as community representatives who served as judges and sponsors for the Teacher of the Year event.

Dr. Christi Teal, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources added, “What a great night! It is an honor to recognize such a service-minded group of teachers who represent the kind of talent we employ in Carroll County Schools. We have the best, hardest working, and most caring teachers in the State and to be able to highlight these Teachers of the Year is a pleasure. We appreciate all of our community partners who help make this night such a success.”

Judges included: Mrs. Susan Hale, Bank of North Georgia; Dr. Jill Drake, University of West Georgia; and Mr. Jimmy Garrett, Midway Church.

Sponsors included: Southern A&E, LLC, Ozier Products, Chuck Conerly, Jules and James Boutique, Almon Funeral Home, J&R Construction, Georgia Association of Educators, Lexia, Professional Association of Georgia Educators, Rollins Automotive, Kroger, American Pie, Chick-fil-A, Gallery Row, Mountain Oak Florist, Southern Sales and Marketing, and PIN IT Co.