GAINESVILLE - Heather McConnell is the Gainesville City School System's 2017 District Teacher of the Year.
“We are proud of the exemplary way that Heather serves our students at school and within the community, and we commend her for her dedication to a profession that is both challenging and rewarding,” said Gainesville Schools Supt. Wanda Creel.
McConnell, a 2006 graduate of Gainesville High School, currently serves as an autism teacher at Gainesville Middle School. She began teaching within the Gainesville City School System as a substitute teacher in 2011 and was later hired as a paraprofessional until becoming a lead autism teacher in 2012.
“Shocking, humbling, encouraging!” McConnell said in reaction to her selection. “As it says in Proverbs 16:9, 'The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord established his steps'. The Lord had a classroom of rambunctiously challenging and sweet boys planned for me and I wouldn’t want to teach in any other environment.”
She is the daughter of Dave and Denise McConnell, both teachers in the school system. Her mother Denise was the 2014 District Teacher of the Year. She has two brothers David Jr. and Jacob, who are also GHS graduates.
McConnell along with other district winners from around the state will compete for Georgia Teacher of the Year which will be announced at the annual banquet in May 2016.
The Hall County School District announced its Teacher of the Year earlier this week. Click here for that story.
