WCPS Names 2014-2015 Teacher of the Year
Allyson Daly, an English teacher at Wayne School of Engineering, has been selected as the Wayne County Public Schools (WCPS) 2014-2015 Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made Tuesday night, August 19th at the annual Teacher of the Year Banquet held at Goldsboro Country Club.
Mrs. Daly has 13 years education experience, and has spent the past year working in her present position at Wayne School of Engineering. “As teachers, our legacy is not a building or a work of art that can be seen at a museum; my living legacy is made up of the people who moved out into the world equipped with the skills they need to meet the challenges they face,” states Mrs. Daly. “My students return to say they were ready for college: that they have found their purpose, that they are using what we did together to good things, and that our hard work was worth it. Teaching constantly looks forward; my greatest contributions are within the people I helped empower.”
Mrs. Daly serves in various leadership roles at Wayne School of Engineering. In addition to serving as the Lead High School English Teacher at the school and facilitating professional development training to staff, she implemented a program called “The Literacy Design Collaborative,” which provides teachers across all subject areas at the school the necessary structure and tools to create high quality writing prompts for students.
“Mrs. Daly provides a rigorous curriculum that includes lively interaction and discourse,” states Gary Hales, WSE principal. “She has an infectious enthusiasm for her job. I have witnessed her students grow in their love of reading and their ability to communicate effectively through written work and oral presentations.”
Mrs. Daly holds a bachelor’s degree in English Education and a master’s degree in English, both from East Carolina University.
WCPS administrators state that the Teacher of the Year program allows the district to honor its most outstanding teachers.“With so many great teachers leading our classrooms, it is difficult for the Teacher of the Year committee to narrow the selection process down to just one individual,” states Dr. Steven Taylor, WCPS Superintendent “Mrs. Daly earned this outstanding achievement because of her passion for education and her proven track record as a classroom instructor. We congratulate her and challenge her to continue seeking new and innovative ideas to engage and motivate students in learning.”
Mrs. Daly will now advance to the regional Teacher of the Year competition. In addition, as the WCPS Teacher of the Year, she will receive a $1,500 check and a $5,000 Kemp/Twiford Worldview Travel/Study Award to be used to travel outside the United States. The district’s Teacher of the Year finalists, Donna Lewis (Northwest Elementary School) and Melissa Riser (Rosewood Middle) will each receive a $4,000 travel/study stipend.
