A special education teacher at an elementary school in White County was recently named one of 10 finalists for the 2025 Georgia Teacher of the Year.
Holly Witcher teaches a self-contained special education class at Tesnatee Gap Elementary School.
Witcher and the other nine finalists will meet with a panel of judges for formal speeches and interviews before the statewide 2025 Teacher of the Year is selected in May.
Witcher was not the only North Georgia teacher to make the list of finalists - Chestatee High School Audio Video and Film Tech teacher Steven McIntyre was also recently named to the list.
The Georgia Department of Education said Witcher was a graduate of Georgia College and State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in early childhood education (2001), and American College of Education, where she received her Master of Education in integrated curriculum with a focus of study in special education (2021).
"She has dedicated herself to becoming a life-long educator and learner and continually works to receive endorsements, allowing her to best meet the needs of the students she serves," the education department said in a social media post.
She has earned endorsements in gifted-in field and teacher of English to speakers of other languages (ESOL). She has also worked to receive the teacher support specialist service certificate.
Witcher also taught online for 10 years at Georgia Cyber Academy where she served as a lead teacher for four years and Elementary School Assistant Administrator of Special Programs for four years. She was named Teacher of the Year for her school in Rockdale County in 2006 and was named District Teacher of the Year in White County in 2023.
"As a member of her school’s leadership team and lead teacher for special education, she has prioritized finding ways to support students, families, and educators within the community," the department said.
The finalists were chosen from a pool of applicants all previously selected as their school district’s Teacher of the Year. The applications were read and scored by a group of reviewers that included past Georgia Teacher of the Year winners and finalists along with Georgia Department of Education representatives.
