Bartow Band Director Honored As Georgia Teacher Of The Year

CARTERSVILLE, GA — A Bartow County high-school band director and music teacher has been named 2023 Georgia Teacher of the Year.

Michael Kobito, an AP music-theory teacher and band director at Woodland High School, received the honor Saturday night at a banquet in LaGrange honoring all district Teachers of the Year.

“Michael Kobito is an outstanding educator who exemplifies both student-centered decision-making and the role of the fine arts in providing a world-class education to students,” said state School Superintendent Richard Woods, who presented the award.

As band director at Woodland High School, Kobito oversees and manages four concert bands, a 200-member marching band, a basketball pep band, a private-lessons institute, jazz band and winter guard. Under his direction, the marching band has been invited to march in the National Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, D.C. and the London New Year’s Day Parade in 2023.

Kobito also teaches AP music theory at Woodland High School. After his first year teaching the course, he had a 100-percent test participation rate and a 100-percent pass rate on the AP exam.

“We teach in a world that forces kids to be comparative to the point of detriment, whether it be through social media, online entertainment, or other factors that increase the level of scrutiny for what would usually be considered missteps," Kobito wrote in his Georgia Teacher of the Year application. “Many of the students in our classes are afraid to try because they feel they aren’t as smart or skilled as their peers. In my classroom, from the very start, I reinforce our classroom philosophy: every student’s contribution is important, and every student can learn.”

Kobito is a graduate of the University of Georgia. He is currently pursuing a master of music degree at Georgia College and State University.

Katie Blum, a second-grade teacher at Sugar Hill Elementary School in Gwinnett County, was named runner-up for Teacher of the Year. In addition to teaching, Blum is a co-leader of the new teacher mentoring program at Sugar Hill Elementary and a mentor to second-year teachers.

The other finalists for teacher of the year are:

• Ashley Anglin, first grade teacher, Elm Street Elementary School, Rome City Schools
• Julie Caraballo, seventh grade language arts teacher, J.R. Trippe Middle School, Vidalia City Schools
• Laura Floryance, first grade teacher, Sawyer Road Elementary School, Marietta City Schools
• Susan Howard, K-5 STEM teacher, Lanier School for Inquiry, Investigation, and Innovation, Hall County Schools
• Vicki Knox, fifth grade mathematics teacher, Deer Chase Elementary School, Richmond County School System
• Chelsea Leming, fifth grade teacher, Indian Knoll Elementary School, Cherokee County School District
• Lisa Seegar, fifth grade science teacher, Britt David Magnet Academy, Muscogee County School District
• Jesse Smith, CTAE teacher, Rockdale Career Academy, Rockdale County Public Schools