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Three area teachers were honored as innovative educators, and awarded $500 to each of their innovative programs. A prize patrol of business and education representatives marched into classrooms in Asheville, Buncombe, and Madison school districts to surprise and recognize the three creative educators for outstanding career preparation efforts for their students. Each educator was presented with a check for $500 to be dedicated to their innovative programs.
The �Innovative Educators� program was created by the Partners In Education Advisory Committee of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, which includes representatives from Asheville City Schools, Buncombe County Schools, and Madison County Schools. The recipients are as follows: Mr. Joe Lilly, Culinary Arts Instructor, Asheville High School �Chef Joe�, as he is known around campus, takes his broad knowledge and enthusiasm as the former executive chef role at Trevi�s, to the classroom. He is now in his third year as a lateral entry teacher for Asheville City Schools. He became interested in teaching culinary after a two-week stint in a Tuscany cooking school. He was also teaching cooking classes at Trevi�s and the Institute for Cardio-Pulmonary Health at Mission Hospitals. The Asheville High School culinary arts program is now serving nearly 50 sophomores, juniors and seniors in two levels of curriculum. Mr. Lilly�s students experience a wide variety of hands-on learning, including the opportunity to prepare the monthly continental breakfast for the Business Alliance and for special events. Chef Joe hopes to send at least 10 students on to enroll in the great program at A-B Tech. Several students shadow each Thursday in the A-B Tech culinary technology classrooms. Mr. Casey McKissick, Agricultural Instructor, Buncombe County School East
Ms. Rhonda Cuthbertson, Marketing Education Instructor, Madison High School Ms. Cuthberston received the �Innovative� Educator recognition for her marketing co-op program which she coordinates to help students receive credit for working for a company, guiding students through the process of applying for a job, helping them when problems arise, and preparing students with specific skills to succeed in future careers. Ms. Cuthbertson is also the Teacher of the Year, bringing her experience as a small business owner to help students prepare for careers. She also continues to work hard to promote small business development in the community. Ms. Cuthbertson is the advisor for MHS DECA- an association of marketing students where two of her students have been elected on a state level for leadership in the NC State DECA Marketing Club, one in the role as president and the other as vice president. The program is made possible through the sponsorship of Chamber member businesses and institutions. Gold Sponsors include Clear Channel Asheville and Mission Hospitals. Bronze Sponsors include Arby�s/The Winning Team, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, FASTSIGNS and The University of North Carolina-Asheville. (Images provided by the Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools.)
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Mr. McKissick, as a teacher assistant, helped students in their work-based learning projects and identified the need to add Agricultural Education to the school�s schedule and wrote an Alternative Agriculture Curriculum. He is now a full time teacher and has taken his interest in organic agriculture and merged it with the current work-based learning project, creating a new course for students. This helps students meet graduation requirements. We appreciate his efforts to teach entrepreneurial skills, character and ethics, and specialization in agriculture, an important cluster in the regions economic development.
