CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) Three teachers with the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS), were chosen Wednesday as the 2017-18 District Teachers of the Year. A teacher is selected by their peers at each school and then a committee selects one teacher from each level, PreK-4, 5-8, and 9-12 to represent the district in the Tennessee Department of Education Teacher of the Year Program.

The PreK-4th grade teacher is Megan Koewler from Norman Smith Elementary School, the 5th-8th grade teacher is Whitney Joyner, a STEM teacher at Northeast Middle School, and the 9th-12th grade teacher is Cresta McGowan, an English teacher from the Middle College at Austin Peay State University.

Elementary school teacher, Megan Koewler said this about the honor. “There’s a lot of teachers in our district who deserve this and it’s just amazing to be someone who can represent our school system, I’m very excited,” said Koewler.

Cresta McGowan with the Middle College talked about the recognition. “I work with a lot of really wonderful English teachers in the county so this a really great honor to be recognized for the work I do. It’s really about the students. They’re the ones who make me look good,” McGowan said.

Middle school teacher, Whitney Joyner commented on being chosen. “There’s so many deserving teachers in this county and as hard as we all work, I wish this went to everybody,” said Joyner.

The awards were presented by the CMCSS Director of Schools, Millard House II, Dr. Sean Impeartrice, Chief Academic Officer, Abby Binkley, Executive Director of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Foundation and this year’s sponsor of the Teacher of the Year program, James Corlew with James Corlew Chevrolet.

“Teachers and all Clarksville-Montgomery County School System employees are the backbone of our community. The more we promote them and their success, the more successful Montgomery County will be,” said Corlew.

All school and district winners will be recognized at the CMCSS Red Carpet Awards presented in February.