Georgia Power recognizes Whitfield teacher

Published 2:46 pm Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Samuel Presley, a teacher at Antioch Elementary School, was among 37 of Georgia’s best and brightest new teachers to receive a New Teacher Assistance Grant from Georgia Power.

Teacher nominations were submitted to Georgia Power by the 19 Georgia public colleges and universities that have a school of education. To be eligible for the grant, candidates had to be in the top 25 percent of their class academically, be a first-year teacher employed by a public school in Georgia and demonstrate a high aptitude for teaching.

“Teacher retention continues to be a major issue in Georgia,” said Kevin Fletcher, Georgia Power’s vice president of economic development. “As new teachers begin their careers, we have found that offering them incentives early on in their profession encourages them to continue helping to educate the future work force of Georgia.”

Georgia Power began the program in 2004 as a way to encourage new teachers to stay in the profession and to provide them with much-needed funds to purchase classroom supplies, equipment or materials not provided by their schools.

“The average teacher spends approximately $500 out of his or her own pocket each year on classroom materials and supplies,” said Fletcher. “This award helps ease this burden by allowing the teacher to purchase items to use in their classrooms as they see fit.”

A graduate of Dalton State College, Presley can use the $1,000 grant to purchase items such as books, educational CDs or DVDs, computers or projectors, or other supplies.