Villa Rica High School computer science teacher Robyn Porter (right) is Carroll County School System Teacher of the Year, and Ithica Elementary School fourth grade teacher Laura Harris is runner-up.
Villa Rica High School computer science teacher Robyn Porter is the Carroll County Schools Teacher of the Year.
Porter’s 22-year teaching career includes time in Fulton County, the Georgia Virtual School and West Georgia Technical College. While she began her career teaching mathematics, Porter has grown into a passionate advocate for computer science, cybersecurity and eSports. She’s been teaching at VRHS since 2009.
A few years ago, Porter noticed her students’ love for gaming, but realized that it was disconnected from their school life. Her desire to use gaming to spark a love for computer science challenged her as a non-gamer and educator and plunged her into a journey of learning and discovery.
Through research and study, attending conferences, reaching out to experts, and seeking professional development opportunities, Porter gained the knowledge and confidence to build a student gaming community that makes eSports and computer science courses some of the most visible and popular offerings at VRHS.
Thanks to her leadership, commitment and collaboration, VRHS students now have a brand-new, state-of-the-art eSports lab to practice their craft on campus.
“Mrs. Porter is welcoming, encouraging, and a positive force in her department and in the school,” VRHS Principal Dr. Mike Bedosky said. “She started our eSports Program and the response has been incredible. Mrs. Porter is always willing to go above and beyond for her students, her classes, and for VRHS. I know I can always count on her, and I am truly thankful that she is part of our staff here at Villa Rica High School.”
Ithica Elementary School fourth grade teacher Laura Harris is the system runner-up. A 18-year veteran teacher who loves teaching mathematics, Harris is in her 11th year at Ithica.
“Every year I’m blown away by the stories of what our school winners are doing in the classroom,” Superintendent Scott Cowart said. “These are the best of the best, but there are over 1,000 more incredible stories representing each of the classroom teachers across our system. I’m incredibly proud to be part of what they do. We will all be cheering for Mrs. Porter as she represents us at the state level.”
Porter and Harris were announced as winners Thursday, October 23 at a celebration for all 25 school-level Carroll County School System teachers of the year. Community representatives who served as judges, sponsors of the Teacher of the Year event, school and system representatives and board of education members attended the event as a part of the evening’s board meeting.
The Teacher of the Year competition begins each year when each school’s faculty selects a school winner. All school winners complete a written application which is reviewed by a panel of community judges. The panel of judges selects finalists and visits their classrooms for in-person evaluations.
Finalists who were announced in September were Porter, Harris, Phil Cherry from Temple High School and Jessica Patterson from Mount Zion Elementary. This year’s community judges were Susan Hale, Patrick Thompson, and Jimmy Garrett.
“Tonight’s teacher of the year celebration honored the premier teaching talent in our district, providing a wonderful opportunity to express our gratitude,” Assistant Superintendent Jared Griffis said. “Their relentless commitment to positively changing lives cannot go without mention. We celebrate the tireless dedication and efforts of these inspiring educators. Congratulations to all of our exceptional Teachers of the Year!”
The Teacher of the Year celebration was supported by premier sponsors: Carroll County Association of Educators, Carrollton Office Equipment, Georgia Power Northwest Credit Union, Holloway Floor and Ceiling, J&R Construction, Spa 3:16, Southern A&E, and Southern Cleaning Services.
