Folks are singing the praises of Langston Chapel Middle School music teacher Lawanda Allen, who, in a surprise visit Thursday morning, was announced the 2015 Bulloch County Teacher of the Year.

During a chorus class, friends, relatives and colleagues snuck behind the unsuspecting teacher. Following the direction of students' stares, Allen whirled around to see the crowd gathered.

She stumbled backward, grabbed her heart, yelled in excitement and began to tear up upon realizing the situation.

"I just want to say, that on behalf of the Bulloch County Board of Education and this community, we want to thank you for all that you do in bringing the love and joy of music to students' lives," said Bulloch County Schools Superintendent Charles Wilson, who passed over a plaque and flowers. "You touch students' lives, and it makes a big difference. We appreciate what you represent and what you do for everyone."

Allen's chorus class broke into song — "For She's a Jolly Good Teacher" — as the 26-year educator embraced her friends.

"All I was thinking was, ‘Oh my goodness.' To see all of those folks come in - my pastor and bishop, my daughters, administrators and all the cameras. I can't believe this," she said. "It is such an honor to know that people, my peers, think that I can be a person to carry this title. It comes with a lot of responsibility. I really am honored to be chosen."

Allen is the school's second consecutive Bulloch County Teacher of the Year. Jemelleh Coes, a special education English language arts and reading instructor, won the Georgia Teacher of the Year title in May, and will represent the state in the national-level competition this month.

"The standard of excellence set by teachers like Lawanda Allen and Jemelleh Coes is a catalyst for helping Langston Chapel and Bulloch County Schools create the high-performance culture that all our students and community deserve," Wilson said.

Allen, who also teaches a language arts remediation course, moved to Bulloch County Schools and Langston Chapel Middle in 2009.

She was selected as the Bulloch Teacher of the Year from among a group of 15 school-level teachers of the year.
"I'm just doing my job, working and doing what I love and enjoy doing," she said. "It means a lot to me to be honored in this way. I am very humbled by it."

Since taking over at LCMS, Allen has built a choral program that is beginning to receive superior ratings at the Georgia Music Educators Association Large Group Performance Evaluation. Participation in the program has increased, and students are competing for district and All State Chorus honors.

Because LCMS is a Title I school, meaning it receives extra federal money for having a high number of students from low-income families, Allen said she felt compelled to dismiss attitudes such as "this is the best (students) can do" and, instead, challenge parents, faculty and students to help her develop a quality, competitive choral program. She said she is "driven to look beyond past limitations, dysfunctional home environments and low economic status." She encourages students to take ownership of their choir and develop a standard of excellence and pride.

When she recognized that some of her students were struggling with reading, she addressed the obstacle head-on.

"I saw the need and knew I had to come out of my choral world and into the academic world to further help my students," she said.

Being qualified to also teach reading, Allen told her principal, Dr. Evelyn Gamble-Hilton, that she wanted to volunteer to provide reading intervention instruction to sixth- through eighth-grade students.

"We (faculty) all play a role in the development of the total child," Allen said. "I know what research says about the impact of music education on a child's academic performance, and I also know that children who read well are better able to sight read in music."

According to Gamble-Hilton, Allen has also been a central figure in several other programs and activities at the school.

"I could not have chosen a better person to work with our students here at Langston Chapel Middle. She goes beyond what is expected of a teacher. (Allen) is always thinking of new innovative and creative ideas for her courses, or for other programs for students to participate in. She is very, very dedicated and sometimes I have to run her home, because she is so energetic and wants to perform so well for her students," the principal said. "The teachers love her and the students love her. She is a well-deserving individual - an honorable and humble individual. (Allen) just puts her heart and soul into whatever it is that she is doing here at LCMS."

Gamble-Hilton added that Allen spearheads programs for Veterans Day and Black History Month at the school and spends several weekends assisting with other projects.

The district's newest Teacher of the Year said she is happy to do it.

"Teaching is a great passion of mine. I really love what I do," she said. "I have always had a love for music, and helping people - to educate them in one way or another. I've always had that passion to teach. To come to work is to have fun."

Allen is graduate of Georgia Southern University — where she received a bachelor's degree in music education, a master's in music and a specialist's degree in teaching and learning — and Appling County Comprehensive High School in Baxley.

She will compete for Georgia Teacher of the Year in May 2014, and if selected, she will be eligible to compete in the 2015 National Teacher of the Year competition.

In the past six years, four Bulloch County Teachers of the Year have been named top-10 finalists in the Georgia Teacher of the Year competition.

Jeff Harrison may be reached at (912) 489-9454.