District Announces Top Teacher, Support Employee

The 2013--2014 Teacher of the Year and Support Employee of the Year for the School District of Pickens County were announced at the district’s Back-to-School Celebration on Friday morning.

The Teacher of the Yeaar is Jan Burroughs, a bioloogy teacher at Easley High School, and the Support Employee of the Year is Pauline Blackston, data entry clerk and instructional assistant at A.R. Lewis Elementary School.

Each yearr, a teacher of the year and support employee of the year is chosen at each school and department in the district. AA committee thhen chooses four finalists in both categoories from thoose candidates.
The other finalists are named as the district’s Honor Roll Teachers and Support Employees.

Burroughs and Blackston, along with all of the Honor Roll Teachers and Support Employees, each received a plaque from Herff Jones and a cash gift sponsored by MetLife. The Teacher of the year was awarded $5000, the Support Employee of the Year was awarded $2250, Honor Roll teachers were awarded $100 and Honor Roll support employess were awarded $50.

"Even before my name was announced I thought of what an honor it was to be on the stage with those other teachers. Being able to represent my school and the district is a very humbling experience," Burroughs said. “I went to Easley High, but never even thought I'd be a teacher. I graduated from Clemson and went to work in a lab for 5 years, but I needed a change. I wanted to do something more rewarding and meaningful. Now I can't imagine doing anything else. It's my calling and my passion, and I love what I do."

“I feel humbled and honored because I know there are many support employeess who go above and beyond. I know there are many others who deserve this honor,” Pauline Blackston said. “My life is enriched by being able to interact with students each day, and I hope that their lives are enriched also by my impact on them. I feel like it’s a calling. I feel like it’s exactly where I want to be. I just enjoy being around children.”

Burroughs will serve on the SDPC Teacher of the Year forum for the next two years and is eligible to  apply for the South Carolina Teacher of the Year award, which will be announced later this school year.