Teachers at Chesney, Harris, McClure and Peachtree Ridge are among 25 semifinalists for 2028 Gwinnett Teacher of the Year. All 13 local school winners, named.

Four teachers from schools that serve Duluth are among the 25 semifinalists for 2028 Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year. Gwinnett County Public Schools chose them from the Teachers of the Year picked by colleagues at each school across the district.

The four, as the district listed them:

  • Hyun Soon McGee, English to Speakers of Other Languages teacher, grades 1, 2 and 4, Chesney Elementary School
  • Hunter Bagwell, fifth grade teacher, Harris Elementary School
  • Cathleen Eckholm, special education interrelated resource mathematics teacher, grades 9-12, McClure Health Science High School
  • Jessica Brace, ninth grade biology teacher, Peachtree Ridge High School

Chesney, Harris and McClure have Duluth addresses. Peachtree Ridge, which serves the east side of Duluth, has a Suwanee address on Old Peachtree Road, about three miles east of downtown.

What happens next

The district sets out the steps on its Teacher of the Year page:

  • A committee scores the 25 semifinalists’ applications and picks six finalists in November.
  • The committee visits the finalists’ classrooms and interviews them.
  • It names a winner for elementary, middle and high school, and one overall winner.

All three level winners and the overall winner will be named at a banquet at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2027. The overall winner serves as the district’s Teacher of the Year from July 2027 to June 2028 and applies for the state title in fall 2027, the district said.

Semifinalists are picked from applications with names and identifying details removed, the district said.

Every Duluth-area school’s Teacher of the Year

Teachers at each school nominate and vote for their own Teacher of the Year. These are the honorees at the 13 public schools on our Duluth schools guide, as the district listed them:

School Teacher of the Year Subject
Duluth High Lisa McKay Algebra and accelerated geometry, grade 9
McClure Health Science High Cathleen Eckholm Special education interrelated resource mathematics, grades 9-12
Peachtree Ridge High Jessica Brace Biology, grade 9
Coleman Middle Imani G. Akpuchukwu Mathematics, grade 8
Duluth Middle Anthony Baglio Guitar, grades 6-8
Hull Middle Dionne C. Byrd Mathematics, grade 7
Radloff Middle Emma Martey Special education autism spectrum disorder level 1, grades 6-8
Berkeley Lake Elementary Candice Monts Mathematics, science and social studies, grade 4
Chattahoochee Elementary Jooyeon Yoo Korean, grades K-5
Chesney Elementary Hyun Soon McGee English to Speakers of Other Languages
Ferguson Elementary Laderka Barron Fourth grade
Harris Elementary Hunter Bagwell Fifth grade
Mason Elementary Carrie Nicholson Health and physical education, grades K-5

McClure’s cafeteria wins a state award

McClure Health Science High School’s cafeteria team won a 2026 Cafeteria Award of Excellence from the Georgia Department of Education’s School Nutrition Division, the district said Sept. 22. The award recognizes high-quality meals, customer service and program integrity.

Marry Ann Sobremonte leads the café team. She joined the district in 2015 at Creekland Middle School and moved to McClure when it opened in 2019.

“It is an incredible honor and a proud moment for our entire team,” Sobremonte said in the district’s announcement.

“Their café is warm, welcoming, and runs like a well-oiled machine, thanks to the incredible teamwork and dedication of the staff,” said Karen Hallford, the district’s director of school nutrition.

What it means for you

  • The six finalists are due in November. We will report whether any Duluth-area teacher is among them.
  • Find each school’s address, zone and ratings on our Duluth schools guide.
  • Calendars, enrollment and who to call at the district: our public schools page.