PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. – A local teacher, who recently celebrated 50 years in the classroom, has now been named Region I teacher of the year and is nominated for 2017 Virginia teacher of the year.
We first told you about Louise Thornton in January when she celebrated her golden anniversary teaching and was nominated for the "LifeChanger of the Year" award.
The government teacher at Prince George High School and William and Mary grad estimates she has taught over 6,000 students during her career.
Louise Thornton
Tuesday, Prince George High held a celebration for Thornton as she received a certificate for Region I Teacher of the Year. That region includes all of Central Virginia.
She is now one of eight teachers in the running for the Commonwealth’s top teacher of 2017.
The other seven 2017 Regional Teachers of the Year are as follows:
- Toney McNair Jr., a music teacher at Indian River Middle in Chesapeake (Region 2)
- Heidi Trude, a French teacher at Skyline High in Warren County (Region 4)
- Crystal DeLong, a social studies teacher at Liberty High in Bedford County (Region 5)
- Jason Ince, an agricultural education teacher at Chatham High in Pittsylvania County (Region 6)
- Beth Shell, an agricultural education teacher at Lee County Career and Technical Center in Lee County (Region 7)
- Katie McCann, a language arts and reading teacher at Appomattox Elementary in Appomattox County (Region 8)
Louise Thornton
The teachers were selected from among candidates nominated by school divisions in each of the state’s eight superintendents’ regions. The candidate’s accomplishments, educational philosophies and community activities are taken into consideration for the honor.
The 2017 Virginia Teacher of the Year winner will be announced on October 17 during a ceremony at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond.
