Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy Educator Named CCSD Teacher of the Year!

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The Cherokee County School District saluted educators tonight at the 2025 Legacy Makers: CCSD Teachers of the Year Celebration and Dr. Lisa Spence of Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy was named CCSD’s Teacher of the Year!

The Legacy Makers event held at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Conference Center in Canton honored the Teacher of the Year for every CCSD school, including four finalists who were announced in February.  Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis opened an envelope at the event’s conclusion to announce that Dr. Spence is the 2025 CCSD Teacher of the Year! 

“I do have the very best job in the world,” Dr. Spence said as she accepted the honor.  “I get to wake up and 1,100 children greet me at the bus ramp with smiles and hugs … and it makes my heart happy.”

Now in her 17th year as an art educator, with the past six years served at Hasty, Dr. Spence’s success also has been recognized at the state, regional and national level.  She is the National Art Education Association’s 2025 Southeastern Region Elementary Art Educator, the 2023 Georgia Elementary School Art Educator of the Year and a 2022 Crayola Creativity Ambassador, among her most recent accolades.  In addition to teaching art classes across all grade levels at Hasty, she also sponsors the school’s art club.

“As a dedicated art educator, she has profoundly impacted our students and the entire school community.  Her passion for art and commitment to fostering creativity in her students is truly inspiring,” Principal Dr. Maria Rosario-Regan said.  “She fosters an inclusive and supportive classroom environment where every student feels valued and encouraged to express themselves artistically.”

For one of her essays reviewed by the judging committee, Dr. Spence was asked to write a speech to encourage her fellow educators.

“Teaching is much more than a job; it is an investment in our nation’s greatest resource -- its young people,” she wrote as part of her speech.  “As a teacher, I feel strongly that we lay the foundation of possibilities for our students and put in place the groundwork for a lifetime of learning.  I know that school is where dreams can come alive, especially when we, as teachers, are investing in the wholeness of the child.  Ours is a transformative profession.  We can channel our influence to positively impact the lives of the children we teach, creating spaces that allow them the freedom to grow as they should.”

Each school’s Teacher of the Year was congratulated by Superintendent Davis and the full School Board.  The dinner, and the long list of gifts presented to the honorees, all were made possible thanks to the generosity of sponsor donations including Presenting Sponsors: Cherokee County Educational Foundation, Credit Union of Georgia, Northside Hospital Cherokee and Shottenkirk Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram of Canton.

David Booth, general manager of Shottenkirk, announced at the event’s close that Dr. Spence, as CCSD Teacher of the Year, would enjoy a free one-year lease of the vehicle of her choice from Shottenkirk.  

The finalists and CCSD Teacher of the Year are selected by a panel of community leaders who evaluate applications from each school’s Teacher of the Year; school winners are selected by their peers.  The three other finalists, who received additional gifts and recognition at the event, are: Latin teacher Kellie Jo Baglio of Woodstock HS, science teacher Courtney Helmuth of Dean Rusk MS, and Early Intervention Program teacher Pamela Williams of Sixes ES!  

All school Teacher of the Year winners each received a $200 Visa gift card purchased with donations from event sponsors; $100 local restaurant gift certificate from Shottenkirk; free family portrait session from Cady Studios; $25 Amazon gift card from sponsors; $25 gift certificate from Practically Perfect Day Spa in Canton; engraved plaque; $10 Riverstone Corner Bistro gift certificate; and Simply Southern tote bag filled with supplies and gifts from other sponsors. 

The finalists, in addition to these gifts, also each received: an Apple Watch from ProLogic ITS; $500 Visa gift card purchased with donations from event sponsors; $200 Visa gift card from Cobb EMC; gift certificate for a Diamond Glow facial treatment from The Beauty Barn, valued at $200; choice of CCSD or school logo merchandise from Allegro Business Products, valued at $150; set of PeachSkin Sheets, valued at $115; $100 gift card from Kroger; $100 gift card from Practically Perfect Day Spa; $50 Amazon gift card from Cady Studios; $50 Visa gift card from Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE); $50 gift certificate from Buffalo’s Café; $50 gift card from Eggs Up Grill; $50 gift certificate from J. Michael’s Prime; $50 gift card from La Cantina on Main; gift bag from Mary Kay (Lisa Arrington) valued at $65; three-tiered Bundtlet Tower from Nothing Bundt Cakes; $35 gift certificate from Golf2Grow; $25 gift card from Crumbl Cookie; and free meal card from Chick-fil-A, Cherokee County.

Dr. Spence, in addition to the school winner and finalist gifts already noted, also received: 
•    HP ProBook valued at $1,100 from Southern Computer Warehouse; 
•    $1,000 Visa gift card from event sponsors;
•    Four club-level tickets to a Braves game, including parking and $80 in food credit (valued at $550) from UES (formerly known as Contour Engineering);
•    One free use of event space gift certificate from Thrive Canton (valued at $500+);
•    $250 from EF2 Realty Team;
•    $250 Visa gift card from Fforg Inc.; 
•    “Spa Day” Package certificate from Practically Perfect Day Spa;
•    Additional $100 from Kroger; 
•    Free half-hour party from Kona Ice Cherokee;
•    Two season passes to the 2025-26 theatre season from Cherokee Theatre Company;
•    Gift box valued at $110 from Mary Kay (Lisa Arrington);
•    $100 Amazon gift card from Educators First;
•    $100 Gift card Williamson Brothers Bar-B-Q;
•    Additional $50 gift certificate from Buffalo’s Café;
•    Additional $50 gift card from Cady Studios;
•    Additional $50 from Eggs Up Grill;
•    Additional $50 from La Cantina on Main;
•    Compact Laser printer from PAGE;
•    Ten-inch cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes Woodstock;
•    Catering tray from Chick-fil-A, Cherokee County; and,
•    $25 gift card from Crumbl Cookie 

Sponsors who made all the gifts possible are:
•    Presenting Sponsors: Cherokee County Educational Foundation (CCEF), Credit Union of Georgia, Northside Hospital Cherokee and Shottenkirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram;
•    Platinum Sponsors: Cady Studios, Cherokee Floor Covering, Cobb EMC, Practically Perfect Day Spa, ProLogic ITS, Southern Computer Warehouse (SCW), Thrive Canton;
•    Gold Sponsors: Big Dan’s Car Wash, Center Cut Catering, Cherokee Theatre Company, Nova Engineering & Environmental LLC, PeachSkin Sheets, Simply Southern, The Beauty Barn;
•    Silver Sponsors: Allegro Business Products, Buffalo’s Café, Chick-fil-A, Cherokee County, Eggs Up Grill, Golf2Grow, Mary Kay, Lisa Arrington, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Woodstock, Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE), Riverstone Corner Bistro, The Kroger Co; UES; and,
•    Bronze Sponsors: Crumbl Cookie, Educators First, EF2 Realty Team, Fforg Inc., J. Michael’s Prime, Kona Ice of Cherokee, La Cantina on Main, Marco's Pizza, and Williamson Brothers B-B-Q.

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