Hall of Fame Inductees

By Sherry Kughn
JSU News Bureau

23 AUGUST 2004 -- Three teachers from Alabama were inducted into Jacksonville State University's Teacher Hall of Fame 2003-2004 at a ceremony on campus recently. They were chosen from a field of 68 applicants. The event was sponsored by the College of Education and Professional Studies at JSU.

The 2003-2004 Teachers of the Year are Wanda Meadows Pollard of Albertville City Schools, William Gary Black of Shelby County Schools, and Earnestine Calhoun Giles of Tuscaloosa County Schools.

"As in the past, this year's nominees and inductees represent the quality and professionalism of Alabama's Schools," said Kelly Ryan, JSU's director of Teacher Education Services and the State Chair of JSU Teacher Hall of Fame.

Pollard teaches kindergarten at Big Spring Lake Kindergarten in Albertville. She holds a Bachelor of Science and an Education Specialist degree from the University of Alabama and holds a Master's Degree from the University of Montevallo. She is certified by the National Board of Education as an Early Childhood Generalist. She is a member of the National Board of Professional Teaching; is a member of educational associations on a national, state and local level; and is a member of the Parent Teacher Organization. She is this year's Elementary Teacher of the Year at Albertville City Schools and Big Spring Lake Teacher of the Year. Ms. Pollard is a representative of the Alabama Education Association. She co-authored and received a $1,000 grant for a Wildflower Garden project, and wrote and received a grant to develop and implement a program on Conflict Resolution. Pollard is married to Freddie Pollard, former drum major of The Southerners.

Black teaches eighth grade social studies at Columbiana Middle School in Columbiana. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Alabama. He is accredited by the State of Alabama with a Class A Teaching Certificate. He is a member of the National Council for Social Studies, the National Council for Geographic Education, the Alabama Geographic Alliance, the Alabama Education Association and Kappa Delta Pi. He is this year's Columbiana Middle School Teacher of the Year and Shelby County Middle School Teacher of the Year. He holds the U.S. Navy's Good Conduct Award and Expeditionary Awards. He is or has served on 14 various committee memberships. He is a member of the Riverside Middle School PTSA and the Tuscaloosa County High School PTSA.

Giles teaches special education at Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa. She holds a Bachelor's degree in special education/speech therapy, a Master's degree in special education and a certificate in special education/early childhood education, all from the University of Alabama. She is a member of educational associations on the national, state and local levels and a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Education Society. She is the ARC-Tuscaloosa Teacher of the Year for 2000 and the ARC-Alabama Teacher of the Year for 2000; was nominated for JSU Teacher Hall of Fame in 1997-98 and nominated for the Alabama State Teacher of the Year in 2002. She received the School to Career Mini Grant in 2002.

Dr. Cynthia Harper, dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies, presented the keynote speech. The inductees and the finalists received plaques and certificates from JSU. The inductees also received a certificate and a United States Savings Bond from the Scottish Rite of Alabama.

Finalists were: Elementary Grades--Carolyn Gooden Haynes of Talladega County Schools, Lori Howell of St. Clair County Schools, Julie Maholick of Russell County Schools, Sandra E. Parker of Cherokee County Schools.

Middle Grades-Patricia Edwards of Etowah County Schools, Janice S. Greene of Fayette County Schools, Andrea Hope Harris of Attalla City Schools, Kathy Glidewell Rodgers of Haleyville City Schools.

Secondary Grades-Karen T. Burnham of Anniston City Schools, Jeff Lloyd of Hoover City Schools, Anita O. Phillips of Oxford City Schools, Brenda Tucker of Haleyville City Schools.

---

Submit items for news releases by using the request form at http://www.jsu.edu/news/requestform.html.