Beth Foster thought she was attending the August Board of Education meeting to be recognized as the Cobb Schools High School Teacher of the Year, but she was in for a big surprise.
Instead of solely recognizing her accomplishment as High School TOTY, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced that she had been selected as the District Level Teacher of the Year!
“Beth Foster is an example of Cobb’s high-quality educators who help students overcome obstacles and succeed in school and beyond. Teachers like her are the reason why 91% of Cobb students reach the graduation stage when they attend a Cobb high school all four years,” said Superintendent Ragsdale.
Beth Foster, a graduate of Pope High School, teaches ESOL and History/Civics classes at Osborne High School, where she has helped students succeed for 13+ years. Cobb’s Teacher of the Year has taught students from all around the world and serves as a daily encouragement to both her students and her fellow educators.
“I love teaching at Osborne because we work as a team to help our students. Every single person in our building contributes - teachers, staff, administrators, parent facilitators, department chairs, the social worker, our cafeteria staff, and academic coaches,” Ms. Foster explained.
Osborne Principal Josh Morreale describes Ms. Foster as a dynamic teacher who consistently meets the needs of all of her students. Principal Morreale also praised the District’s top teacher for building strong relationships with her students.
She maintains some of those relationships long after graduation. One of those relationships also makes up one of her favorite memories as an educator.
“It is difficult to pinpoint one favorite memory as an educator, but one that stands out is a former student who faced a lot of adversity throughout high school. He relied heavily on my husband and I for support, and he eventually went on to graduate and pursue higher education. He now owns his own business, and he has a beautiful family. It has been a joy to see him flourish,” said the veteran Osborne educator.
The success of her student epitomizes why she serves as a teacher.
“I love seeing students happy, learning, and finding success in challenging situations,” Cobb’s TOTY added.
In addition to recognizing Beth Foster, Superintendent Ragsdale and Cobb’s Board Members also congratulate Cobb’s Elementary Level TOTY, Dr. Darline Douangvilay, City View Elementary School; and Middle School Level TOTY, Michelle Gottenberg, Mabry Middle School.
