-Press Release, Vance County Schools

Vance County Schools celebrated the accomplishments and talents of the district’s top educators at the annual Excellence in Education Banquet held on September 11, at McGregor Hall in downtown Henderson.

During the event, an audience of about 150 people watched as Angela Cusaac, now a teacher at Vance County High School, received the prestigious award for Vance County Schools Teacher of the Year for 2018-2019. Cusaac was presented a very nice trophy by Superintendent Anthony Jackson. She also received a new Toyota Camry from Henderson Toyota to drive for the next year as the district’s top representative for local teachers. Cusaac was selected last school year as the Teacher of the Year for Southern Vance High School. She competed for the coveted district Teacher of the Year title with a field of 14 other outstanding educators chosen as their respective school’s Teacher of the Year.

Davia Johnson, who last year was the Teacher of the Year for Eaton-Johnson Middle School, was named the runner-up in the district competition to Cusaac. Johnson now teaches at Vance County Middle School.

Dr. Carnetta Thomas, principal of L.B. Yancey Elementary School, was named the Vance County Schools Principal of the Year for 2018-2019. She also received a nice acrylic trophy for her award.

The Vance County Schools Assistant Principal of the Year for 2018-2019 is Lemondre Watson, who was nominated for the award when he was an assistant principal last year at Eaton-Johnson Middle School. He is now an assistant principal at Vance County Middle School.

Finally, the district named Donna Stratmon, who last year taught at Northern Vance High School, as the Vance County Schools Beginning Teacher of the Year for 2018-2019. Stratmon now teaches at Vance County High School.

Those nominees for the Vance County Schools Teacher of the Year included: Cusaac of Southern Vance High School; Johnson of Eaton-Johnson Middle School; Sarah Jeffries of Aycock Elementary School; Mary Bowers-Taylor of Carver Elementary School; Connie Krupa of Clarke Elementary School; Sharonda Bullock-Morton of Dabney Elementary School; Linda Villa of New Hope Elementary School; Nicola Dobbs of Pinkston Street Elementary School; Regina Hilliard of E.M. Rollins Elementary School; Tameka Brown Burwell of L.B. Yancey Elementary School; Katie Tielking of E.O. Young, Jr. Elementary School; Vanessa Davis of Zeb Vance Elementary School; Cherie Dixon of Henderson Middle School; Nordia McLaughlin of STEM Early High School; and Sheri Evans-Bailey of AdVance Academy.

The nominees for Principal of the Year, along with Thomas, were Kristian Herring of Zeb Vance Elementary School (now STEM Early High School); Rey Horner of Southern Vance High School (now Vance County High School); and Stephanie Ayscue of AdVance Academy.

Educators nominated for the district’s Assistant Principal of the Year in addition to Watson were Joy Suther of Dabney Elementary School; Letitia Fields of Zeb Vance Elementary School; Kevin Ross of Northern Vance High School (now Vance County Middle School); and Darwin Carter of AdVance Academy.

Nominees for the Beginning Teacher of the Year award with Stratmon were Craig Harris of New Hope Elementary School; Melissa Matterson of Pinkston Street Elementary School; Le’Cresha Henderson of E.M. Rollins Elementary School; Debian Blackwood of L.B. Yancey Elementary School; Sallie Nelson of Eaton-Johnson Middle School (now Vance County Middle School); Layla Aldousany of Early College High School; and Steven Myerscough of AdVance Academy.