Learning Today. Leading Tomorrow.

Two Mobile County Public Schools teachers were recognized among the nation’s top math and science teachers by the White House and the National Science Foundation last week. Both are teachers at Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies in downtown Mobile.

The recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are Nicole Bolton, who teaches computer science and STEM, and David Dai, who teaches accelerated math and geometry.

Each year, Alabama selects up to three math and science teachers as PAEMST finalists. Bolton and Dai advanced from state finalists in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and were named national winners this week. They will each receive a certificate signed by the President and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation. They will travel to Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony this spring.

Meanwhile, a third MCPSS teacher has been named a 2024 state PAEMST finalist: Eichold-Mertz School of Math and Science teacher Maegan Gayle.

Click here to read about these outstanding educators on MCPSS.com.

Mobile County Public Schools is proud to announce its top three teachers of 2025. The countywide Teachers of the Year are:

• Krissy Brown of Gilliard Elementary, the Mobile County Elementary School Teacher of the Year
• Justine Wilson of Grand Bay Middle, the Mobile County Middle School Teacher of the Year
• Roseann Byrd of Citronelle High, the Mobile County High School Teacher of the Year

Each of Mobile County’s 90 schools selects a Teacher of the Year, who is then nominated for the countywide honor. A committee selected these three winners and will forward their applications on to be considered by the state for Alabama’s Teacher of the Year.

“These outstanding educators have done an exceptional job in the classroom and beyond,” said Mobile County Public Schools Superintendent Chresal D. Threadgill. “This honor is a tangible recognition of their dedication to student achievement and success. I am very proud of them, and I congratulate them on this terrific accomplishment.”

Here is information about each of the Mobile County Teachers of the Year:

Krissy Brown is a fourth-grade teacher at Gilliard Elementary, where she has been on staff since 2022. She serves as the Lead Math Teacher for fourth grade, and was an Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative Math and Science Coaching Cycle Participant, a statewide program to improve STEM teaching. In her young career as an educator, she has already won numerous accolades, including a WKRG Golden Apple Award, a classroom grant from the 68 Ventures Bowl Extra Yard for Teachers program, and the Nappie Award finals for “Coolest Public Elementary School Teacher.” She is certified in K-6 Elementary Education, K-6 Special Education, and P-3 Early Childhood Special Education. Mrs. Brown earned collaborative Bachelors of Science degrees in K-6 Elementary and Special Education from the University of South Alabama. In 2023, she assisted in the creation of “Hope for Students,” a school-community partnership that provides food, clothing and hygiene products to students from underserved communities.

Justine Cauley Wilson, a 13-year veteran of the classroom, teaches U.S. history to sixth-graders at Grand Bay Middle School, where she serves as Social Studies Department Chair and coaches the Scholars Bowl Team. She is a Gifted Education Specialist and holds certifications in Gifted P-12. Mrs. Wilson discovered her passion for history at a young age through her elementary school’s gifted and talented program. A graduate of Satsuma High School, she completed her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education Social Sciences from the University of South Alabama. At Grand Bay Middle, she is also an advocate for her fellow educators; for the past six years, she has served as a mentoring teacher, providing guidance on lesson planning, professional ethics, classroom management and technology integration.

Roseann Byrd has been teaching for 19 years, the last 11 at Citronelle High School, where she leads Advanced Placement courses in U.S. History, Psychology, and American Government and Politics. She is the school’s Social Studies Department Chair, serves on the Leadership Team, coaches the Academic Team and is Student Council Sponsor. After learning about and researching the A+ College Ready Program, she was instrumental in implementing it at Citronelle High with the goal of improving instructional rigor and raising the school’s state report card grade. The program played a pivotal role in fostering success in Advanced Placement coursework for teachers and students at Citronelle, and resulted in tangible success when the school’s state report card grade rose by 11 points one year later. Mrs. Byrd earned a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education Social Studies from the University of South Alabama and a master of education at the University of West Alabama, and is working on an Educational Specialist in Education Leadership certification from the University of West Alabama.

#TeamMCPSS is all about professional development! MCPSS Career Coaches attended the Alabama Career Coach Conference in Tuscaloosa, joining over 200 Career Coaches from across the state to collaborate and explore new programs. Three of them presented in breakout sessions. Terra Price of Mary G. Montgomery and Deborah Pippin of Theodore shared insights on Academy Ambassadors and Chamber Involvement, and Lakenda Craig of Citronelle and CHS graduate Jack Davis partnered with SSAB to discus business partnerships and the MCPSS Summer Internship Program.

Schools across the county participated in professional development sessions this month. The Alma Bryant High School administrative team invited administrators and educators from schools in the Bryant feeder pattern for a day of professional development and team building. Dr. Joe Sanfelippo, a superintendent who leads education conferences around the country, was the keynote speaker (photo below). The day included breakout sessions, where educators had an opportunity to discuss their subjects, share strategies, and foster unity. These sessions allowed the participants to align their goals and strengthen the bonds among all of the schools in the Bryant feeder pattern.

It's Reese's Senior Bowl Week! Players in town for the big game visited Florence Howard Elementary and Calloway-Smith Middle School on Monday and shared the importance of working hard in school and striving for your dreams. "The only way to get better at doing something is to do it consistently," University of Pittsburgh tight end Gavin Bartholomew told the students.

The MCPSS Honor Band Concert, featuring 170 of Mobile County's best high school musicians, was held at Theodore High School on January 14. These students were selected through rigorous auditions for this honor. The Gold Band clinician was Dr. Tyler Strickland of the University of West Alabama, and the Silver Band clinician was Kevin Threadgill of Causey Middle School.

The MCPSS Dance Teachers Association and the MCPSS Honor Dance Team presented "A Night of Dance" on January 16 in the Davidson High auditorium. The recital featured dancers from 11 middle and high schools.

Pamela Baker's honors marine science students at Alma Bryant High collected water samples from Bayou La Batre and Snake Bayou, then planted more than 300 native trees and bushes on conservation land in Coden and Bayou La Batre. This initiative is a partnership with the Nature Conservancy's Environmental Protection Agency grant for mapping the Bayou La Batre watershed. Bryant High's grant portion, $15,000, covers the cost for students to take field trips and the costs of supplies for the testing. The students will take one field trip per quarter to collect water samples from six sites in the watershed, using the Alabama Water Watch Bacteriological Monitoring and Chemistry testing methods for water quality.

Click here to watch an interview with Ms. Baker and her students, courtesy of mcpssTV.

Mobile County Public Schools is proud to support our students and staff with affordable home internet options through our Wifi on the Go plans, which are designed to make high-speed internet accessible and affordable for everyone. Wifi on the Go provides unlimited data without any contracts, setup fees, or annual commitments required. Subscribers receive a lightweight, portable hotspot that connects to the T-Mobile network for seamless internet access at home or "on-the go." Available plans are an Unlimited 4G LTE Data Plan for students at $27.99 a month, and an Unlimited 5G Data Plan for staff and students at $49.99 a month. To learn more, and to sign up, click here.

The mcpssTV crew is broadcasting middle school basketball championships this week. The Small Division Championship will be broadcast on Tuesday at 4 p.m., and the Large Division Championship will be broadcast on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The live broadcasts will feature expert commentary from hosts Al Weeden and former University of South Alabama basketball coach Ronnie Arrow. The broadcasts will be on mcpssTV via Facebook Live, YouTube, Comcast (channel 15), Mediacom (channel 81), AT&T U-verse (On Demand channel 99), and Roku.

The Mobile County Board of School Commissioners will hold its regular board meeting on Wednesday at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held in the Board Room at MCPSS Central Office, located at 1 Magnum Pass in west Mobile, and will be live-streamed on mcpssTV.

Email: communications@mcpss.com
Website: mcpss.com
Location: 1 Magnum Pass, Mobile, AL 36618
Phone: 251-221-4000
Facebook: facebook.com/MobileCountyPublicSchools
X: @MobilePublicSch

Instagram: instagram.com/mobilecountypublicschools