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2010-11 Cobb Teachers of the Year Announced For Each Academic Level

With more than 9,000 outstanding educators in the Cobb County School District, it has become an annual tradition to recognize a Teacher of the Year for each academic level and to give the district-wide honor to one of those three unique teachers. The District is proud to announce Mrs. Kathleen O’Hara-Rosa of Clarkdale Elementary School, Mrs. Lisa Tatum of Lost Mountain Middle School and Mr. Christopher L. James of Osborne High School as the 2010-2011 Cobb County Teachers of the Year! Superintendent Fred Sanderson made the surprise announcement during each school’s first faculty meeting of the year on July 29.

Less than a decade ago, Christopher James left a career in the private sector and found his true passion helping students achieve their own goals. James joined the staff at SIATech Charter High School, an accelerated dropout recovery program supporting at-risk students. “Most of our students came to with tremendous deficiency in their skills or were very intelligent but had never taken an interest in school…seeing the excited faces of students receiving passing scores on the GHSGT, was the defining moment that fueled my passion for teaching. It was during my tenure at SIATech that I began to understand why education and the need for good teachers were important,” said James.  Mr. James joined Osborne in 2006 as a special education teacher, where he co-developed a successful study skills program to assist students with academic achievement, credit recovery, behavior and social skills. “In my eyes, my greatest achievement is helping the students to succeed in school. My class has become a safe haven for students with disabilities with a focus on high expectations,” said James. An Eagle Scout and graduate of Mississippi Valley State University, Christopher James is also active in his church and with BOSS United, a charity assisting in rehabilitation of young men and their families.

During her tenure at Clarkdale Elementary, Kathy O’Hara-Rosa has helped change the way the school serves students whose first language is one other than English. She and principal Marjorie Bickerstaff developed a unique ESOL portfolio for each of her students, which provide documentation of language acquisition that other teachers can use across other subject areas. Mrs. Rosa said, “It is my desire to help the classroom teachers understand and help these students because they have them the majority of the academic day.  These teachers are crying out for help.  I want to be better able to answer their cries. In addition, my principal and I have shared these portfolios with other schools in our cluster so that more students and teachers can benefit from its use.”  She is also coordinator of the Family Achievement Makes Excellence (F.A.M.E.) after-school program, which provides ESOL instruction for Clarkdale students’ extended families. The eight-week sessions help build literacy skills for parents, grandparents and siblings that help families become more directly involved with their child’s education. “Since the inception of F.A.M.E., we have seen an increase in parent involvement and student academic achievement,” said Mrs. Rosa. By setting our families up for success, everyone wins.” Mrs. Rosa completed her Master’s degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from Kennesaw State University this year and will continue her path towards a doctorate in the coming years. In her time outside of Clarkdale, she serves in her church community and volunteers at Miss LaLa’s Treehouse and Community Arts Center.

Lisa Tatum’s interest in education began with her studies in criminal justice during college. “I realized I wanted to begin making a difference earlier in the process.  I wanted to be in a position to make a difference for people before they entered into the criminal justice process,” said Mrs. Tatum.  Following several years working with preschool students, Tatum joined the staff at Lost Mountain Middle School in 2001 as a science teacher, relishing the opportunity to work with students at such a critical age. “This is a place in young people’s lives where they are facing many life changes and decisions that impact their future,” said Tatum.  “I came to realize that working with toddlers and middle school age young people was not as great a leap as one might imagine.  Both age groups are at a point where they are striving to be independent and do not always want assistance.” Mrs. Tatum captures her students’ attention by engaging them in the entire learning process. “Allowing students to be a part of the decision making in the classroom, from assisting in creating assessment rubrics for performance tasks to analyzing test results to determine need for reinforcement or enrichment, provides them a sense of ownership in their learning,” said Mrs. Tatum. In the community, Lisa Tatum volunteers at Acworth’s special needs sports fields and supports Lost Mountain’s fundraising efforts for cancer research through The Rally Foundation and Relay for Life. She is also active in the PTSA programs and booster clubs in her children’s schools.

The Cobb County School District began recognizing Teachers of the Year for all three levels in 2004, providing an opportunity to recognize more than one outstanding educator and allowing the honorees to showcase the unique talents and skills needed at each academic level. The teaching staffs at each school select their own Teacher of the Year who, in turn, is nominated for the district-wide honor. Each application is read and rated independently by a committee of administrators. The highest-rated applicants from elementary, middle, and high schools become the Teachers of the Year.

The District Teacher of the Year is chosen from among the three finalists following a comprehensive interview process. The winner will be announced after the start of the school year.

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