Last night, the Foundation for Excellence held its annual awards ceremony, honoring outstanding teachers and staff in the Clarke County School District.
The Foundation for Excellence is a local nonprofit that turns donations from the community into classroom grants and monetary awards for public schools in CCSD.
Catherine Neace is the executive director of the FFE. She says the school district doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves. “I think a lot of people have this negative connotation of Clarke County School District," Neace said.
That’s why the FFE has this ceremony, “To feel inspired, I think that’s a good way to put it. To realize that great things are happening here in Clarke County School District,' Neace said.
This year, the foundation had over 300 applicants. Though, they were only able to recognize 14 winners.
Among them was Conor Naughton, a Hilsman Middle School math teacher, who won the Ann M. Schindel Chair for Teachers of Mathematics Award. The award grants him $2,000 over the course of two years. This is the fourth time he has been acknowledged by the FFE.
Naughton says there’s no special secret to being a good teacher. “I just want to convey to students how badly I want them to succeed and how much I care about them– not just as math students but holistically," Naughton said.
The ceremony was attended by fellow staff and soundtracked by the Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central High School orchestras.
Nominations for 2026 start early next year. The FFE encourages not just staff and students to nominate people but community members as well.
