Donna Kennedy was named JCHS "Teacher of the Year" during the school's post-planning program held Monday, May 30. Jenkins County Board of Education Chairman Carroll Gay, who assisted with the presentation, is shown in the background. (Staff photo by Deborah Bennett)

Donna Kennedy, business education teacher at Jenkins County High School (JCHS), has been chosen as the school’s "Teacher of the Year". Director of Instructional Services Veronica Cowart made the announcement Monday, May 30, during Jenkins County system-wide breakfast meeting at Jenkins County Elementary School.

Kennedy is a well-educated and experienced teacher. She completed her secondary education at Randallstown High School in Baltimore, Maryland where she excelled academically as well as physically. Kennedy went on to pursue her associate of science degree in business administration at Middle Georgia College and her bachelor of science degree in education at Georgia Southern University. Currently, she is working on a master’s of education degree in curriculum, instruction and design from Walden University.

With solid classroom experience to include five years as Director of the Candler Alternative Learning Center and brief periods at Ogeechee Technical College, she has been at Jenkins County High School since 2001. Kennedy is completing her tenth year of teaching. All of this combines to make her well-prepared to assist JCHS in meeting the tough requirements of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). She has so excelled at this task that she was one of several individuals singled out for praise by the Quality Assurance Review Team (QART) at the time of its five year visit to Jenkins County High School in March, 2005.

Kennedy is the advisor for the JCHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), a responsibility she is most passionate about. She has inspired numerous students to compete and place at the state level in word processing I and II and computer applications. Dr. Diane McNeely, assistant principal of JCHS, has described Kennedy as "an intelligent, young, professional teacher who encourages an excitement for learning in her students. Mrs. Kennedy is truly making a difference in the lives of the students she teaches."

Kennedy’s educational accomplishments at JCHS include serving on the school improvement team as Chair of the Student and Community Demographics Committee, the school’s Design Team, the Prom Committee, the Class Representative Committee, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools steering committee for JCHS, the Georgia Business Education Association, the National Education Association, the Georgia Association of Educators and the Jenkins County Association of Educators. In addition, she has been chosen as an advisor for the newly formed JCHS Career Development Grant Program. Kennedy is so well-respected by students, parents, faculty and staff, the 2004 – 2005 school yearbook was dedicated to her.

Kennedy resides in Metter. She is married to Kennis Kennedy, and they are the proud parents of two daughters, Victoria and Haley. Kennedy is the daughter of John and Josephine Parrish of Pulaski.