he Teacher of the Year Award recognizes outstanding teachers who have been nominated as the Teacher of the Year for their school site. All schools in the district are invited to nominate one teacher at their site whom they feel is the most well-rounded and professional. Finalists are selected by a district committee and individually interviewed. One winner is then selected for the prestigious honor of being named Hillsborough County's Teacher of the Year. The winner of this award goes on to compete for Florida State Teacher of the Year honors, and potentially the national Teacher of the Year.
Founding sponsor - Caspers Company McDonald's Restaurants
Presenting sponsor - Rays Baseball Foundation
Congratulations to our 2012 Teacher of the Year finalists!
Elisabeth Denisar Babin - Dowdell Middle
Elisabeth Denisar Babin earned her B.A. in English Literature from USF and her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Eastern Mennonite University. She has been teaching in Hillsborough County Schools for five years, all of them at Dowdell Middle Magnet School. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and former Editor of the Florida English Journal of the FCTE. The National School Boards Association recognized Mrs. Babin as a “20 to Watch Educator” for her contribution as a technology leader who inspires students and shapes the national education conversation. She earned a fellowship with the Tampa Bay Area Writing Project where she served for many years as the Technology Liaison. Mrs. Babin is most proud of her job as a wife to her husband Marc, and a mother to her four children, Sebastian, Alexander, Christian and Megan.
Yolanda Whitehead Driskell – Hillsborough High
Yolanda Whitehead Driskell is a native of Tampa and has been employed by Hillsborough County Public Schools as a math teacher for 11 years at Hillsborough High School. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University of New Orleans where she received a full scholarship to play basketball. In 2001, she earned a Master’s Degree in Math Education from Nova Southeastern University to pursue a career in education. Yolanda coaches volleyball, and serves as site team leader in several areas including AVID and SLC. She loves to inspire, challenge, mentor, nurture, and counsel her students, and is even willing to dedicate several hours outside of school to ensure their success. Yolanda enjoys spending free time with her husband, Duane, family, and friends.
Katy Cortelyou - Kenly Elementary
Katy Cortelyou graduated from Florida Southern College with a B.S. in Elementary Education and later earned her M.A. in Reading from the University of South Florida. She will graduate in August with her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Central Florida. Katy has taught for 16 years, with the past three years in Hillsborough County. She holds National Board Certification and in 2011 she was named Hillsborough County’s “Elementary Reading Teacher of the Year.” Katy serves as a district and state reading trainer and is an active member of Hillsborough County’s New Millennium team founded by the Center for Teaching Quality.
Sue Creekmore - Kingswood Elementary
Sue Creekmore earned a B.S. from Southern College, an M.Ed. from the University of Tampa, and is an NBCT. She has taught for 33 years in Hillsborough County. Sue is a Fulbright Scholar to Japan, a Teaching Standards Delegate to China, an AAUW Fellow and received the Bronze Level Healthy School Award by President Clinton. Sue is Chair of the HNBCT Council, a member of many district focus groups, a member of Who's Who Among America's Teachers, an involved CTA member, site teacher leader, and has served five years as a Teacher Ambassador. She is a district trainer, a state and national presenter and education consultant. She currently teaches fourth grade at Kingswood. Sue is married to Jeff, mother of Jason (Kristen) and Amy (Andrew) and has two PERFECT grandchildren, Logan and Olivia.
Christine Danger - Robles Elementary
Christine Danger is a science resource teacher at Robles Elementary who has taught in Hillsborough County for 10 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from USF, a Master of Educational Leadership from Saint Leo University and National Board Certification. She serves as a POWER School Teacher Ambassador, a mentor teacher for Students, Teachers, and Resources at the University of South Florida, a parliamentarian for the Hillsborough Association of Elementary Science Teachers, team mom for Wharton High School Hockey, and is a teacher trainer for the Elementary Science Department. She has written and delivered many teacher training workshops. She won the PRISM award for science education in 2009 and enjoys coaching a robotics team and playing ice hockey.
Congratulations to the 2011 Hillsborough County Teacher of the Year!
Cynthia Folsom Crim, Palm River Elementary School