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On Tuesday afternoon, Selma City Schools honored several teachers within the system who demonstrated excellence in the classroom during the current academic school year. 

Starting with Edgewood Elementary, reading coach Yolanda Mason was recognized as the first finalist honored for the outstanding job she does for her students. Despite her not actively being a teacher, she dedicated effort to see her students in her reading room succeed.

“She also says in the midst of a nationwide teacher shortage, she feels it’s essential to go over and beyond to ensure that all of our scholars, each scholar in her care, feels valued and cherished,” said Cynthia Milledge, Selma City Schools Community and Family Engagement Specialist. “That’s a great attribute she has with an impressive 21 years of experience, 20 of those have been in our district.”

The next teacher of the year was Selma High School’s Veronica Pitts. 

Milledge said that Pitts has been an “exemplary example” of a teacher who showcased her dedicated efforts to see students within the school succeed, no matter how many administrative changes involving principals’ Selma High has had.

“She has remained intact, and that says a lot about her,” Milledge said. “Now, the good thing that really caught my attention, she says she’s been with our school system for 11 years now and I asked her, ‘Why do you keep coming back every year?’ She said that she believes in this community and she’s always wanted to come back and do something for her community and that she feels it is vital for her to maintain consistency, not only with her students throughout the years here, but for her colleagues as well to assure the success of Selma High School.”

Like Mason and Pitts, other teachers recognized included Clark Elementary School teacher Mrs. Deneen Hale, who is celebrating her 21st year in education, and R.B. Hudson STEAM Academy teacher Franthia Childers, who began her journey with the SCS district in 2012 as a long-term substitute teacher.

Alongside those recipients, there were other finalists recognized as well, Payne Elementary School of STEAM Excellence teacher Jurni Owden, who has been teaching within the school district for five years as a kindergarten teacher, and Sophia P. Kingston Elementary School teacher Taneshia Glover, who has 15 years of teaching experience in total but 13 years of experience at her current school.

“I remember when I was nominated and I was completely surprised and I cried,” said Owden. “But, tonight it was really nice to come out and be honored by the district and be amongst my fellow colleagues who are also deserving as I am.” 

At Saints Virtual Academy, teacher Constance Bowie was recognized as well for the teacher of the year award, showcasing 25 years of ongoing teaching success within the classroom for the district.

“It feels good to be honored for the award,” said Bowie. “It feels like I’m doing something for the students that I’ve taught and everything.” 

Bowie said teachers who want to follow in her and the others’ footsteps should establish rapport with their students and parents because she said they are needed as well.

“Don’t give up,” Bowie said. “When days are not going as they are supposed to go and just pray about it because that’s what I do. When I have days when I’m down, all of a sudden one of my former parents or former students would call or text and it just brightens my day.”

Bowie said her motivation to become a teacher stemmed from her experience having great teachers who were patient and kind role models and said now, that she is a teacher, her students bring her back each year with the continued effort to have her students prepared academically but also ready for the real world, according to an online statement from Selma City Schools.

Like Bowie, Meadowview Elementary School teacher Ashara Hicks was an honoree as well as the teacher of the year award, showcasing her 14th year within the classroom. When asked about her passion for teaching, she said she cherishes the look on the students’ faces and those ‘aha’ moments when they take ownership of their learning and apply it to real-life situations outside of the classroom.

SCS then narrowed the final recognition down to three schools and three teachers to receive the official recognition award. 

The official recipients of the “TOY” year, 2025-2026 award were Mrs. Yolanda Mason for the district’s elementary level and Veronica Pitts for the district’s secondary school level. 

“We were excited to celebrate our finalists for Teacher of the Year,” said Selma City School Board President Johnny E. Moss III. “The teachers play a huge part in the development and matriculation of our students, in our community and in our school systems and we just really wanted to celebrate them and show them how much they are appreciated.”