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11 Alcovy High seniors sign up to become teachers
0521Educator-signing-day
Alcovy High School seniors celebrate after signing letters of commitment to become teachers. (Duane Ford | The Covington News)

COVINGTON, Ga. - Alcovy High School (AHS) and Richard Cormier, its teaching as a profession instructor, are trying to increase the number of high school students interested in becoming school teachers.

At a May 17 event, 10 Alcovy High seniors signed a letter of commitment indicating their intention to attend college for the purpose of preparing themselves for a teaching career. One additional student could not attend the event, but also will sign a letter of commitment.

The students, the education field they intend to enter and the college they will attend are as follows.

  • Sisters Amber and Autumn Bagley will study early childhood education at Gordon State University.
  • Emma Bryant, Ady Reynolds, and Breeonna Sheedy will major in agricultural education at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
  • Faith Cutwright and Alexis Nolley will enter secondary education at Clark Atlanta University.
  • Anaja Fletcher will prepare for a career in secondary education at Savannah State University.
  • Tiffany Hailey will study early childhood education at Georgia Piedmont Technical College.
  • Quinnyana McGhee will prepare for early childhood education at Wingate University.
  • Madisson Woodruff will enter early childhood education at Valdosta State University.

“Today we celebrate our future educators,” Cormier said as he opened the ceremony. “Future Educator’s Day was established by the Georgia Department of Education to recognize students who have made a commitment to becoming educators.

“Today in Georgia the percentage of students who are going into education programs is down 20 percent from where it was two years ago. These students that we celebrate today have made a commitment to become educators and to make a difference in the classroom. Without a new and vibrant group of educators to fill our classrooms we are destined to have more and more students taught by people who are not qualified.”

“I am so proud of you all,” Shannon Buff, Newton County School System director of secondary education, said. “I hope that when you finish you all know that you have a place to come back and work, and that is the Newton County School System.”