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Photo Courtesy of Vestavia Hills
From left: Vestavia Hills High School science teacher Jessica Sutherland; Vestavia Hills High School principal Tyler Burgess; Vestavia Hills High School science teacher Mary Busbee; Vestavia Hills City Schools superintendent Todd Freeman.
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Photo Courtesy of Vestavia Hills
Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park assistant principal Abbie Freeman; Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park teacher Heather Parrish; Vestavia Hills City Schools Superintendent Todd Freeman.
Vestavia Hills City Schools named its 2018-19 Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year today.
Heather Parrish, a special education teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park, was named Elementary Teacher of the Year. Mary Busbee, a science teacher at Vestavia Hills High School, received Secondary Teacher of the Year honors.
Parrish has taught at Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park since 2015, providing special education services for students in third, fourth, and fifth grades. She previously taught special education in the Mountain Brook and Chambers County school systems. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in collaborative special education from Auburn University.
Busbee has taught science courses at Vestavia Hills High School since 2016. She previously chaired the science department at St. Clair County High School and served on the executive committees of the Alabama Science Teacher Association and the Birmingham Audubon Society. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Judson College and a master’s degree in science education from UAB.
Parrish and Busbee were selected from a field of eight school-level Teachers of the Year, which included: Kayla Underhill, Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights; Kate Donaldson, Vestavia Hills Elementary Central; Shannon Kirby, Vestavia Hills Elementary East; Maggie Widman, Vestavia Hills Elementary West; Lisa Williams, Liberty Park Middle School and Leah Seng, Louis Pizitz Middle School.
As district teachers of the year, Parrish and Busbee will be considered for the Alabama Teacher of the Year designation from the Alabama Department of Education. The state Teacher of the Year will be named in the spring.
“The Teacher of the Year program recognizes outstanding educators for their commitment to the profession,” Vestavia Hills City Schools Superintendent Todd Freeman said. “It is an honor given to those that distinguish themselves as high performing teachers. Mary Busbee and Heather Parrish are consummate professionals and dedicated ambassadors for the mission of Vestavia Hills City Schools. On behalf of the Board of Education, I congratulate them and wish all the best as they represent our system at the state level.”
Submitted by Vestavia City Schools