Kayla Hartline Named 2020 CHS Teacher of the Year

The following article is published with permission of the Indian Lore.

 

The 2020 Chattooga High School Teacher of the Year is Kayla Hartline.

CHS teachers and staff selected Mrs. Kayla Hartline as Chattooga High School’s Teacher of the Year.
Kayla Hartline is a 2006 graduate of Chattooga High School and a 2010 graduate of Jacksonville State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education for Family and Consumer Science.

Kayla began her career in education by returning to her Alma Mater as a substitute teacher, and then began working in a variety of positions at Chattooga High School as she was mentored by Family and Consumer Science teachers Mrs. Darlene Scoggins and Mrs. Betty McWhorter. During the years 2011-2015 she worked as a Special Education Paraprofessional, Workforce Investment Act Coordinator, and Career Technical Instruction Coordinator; she defines these experiences as invaluable in her journey toward the role of Family and Consumer Science teacher, which she began in the fall of 2016. This is a dream come true for Kayla, and she is grateful for the opportunity to live her dream on a daily basis. Her passion for teaching children in Chattooga County is a direct reflection of the investments made by the outstanding Chattooga County educators who taught her.

As the Family and Consumer Science teacher, Kayla serves as the FCCLA adviser and as the coordinator for the snack pack program at Chattooga High School. A few highlights from her years of teaching include honoring Mrs. Darlene Scoggins with the creation of the annual Miss Chattooga County Scholarship, having the first male National FCCLA Competitor, completing the National Leadership Academy for FCCLA Advisers, and the addition of the Food Science pathway to the Chattooga High School CTAE program. Mrs. Hartline will begin the process of achieving Industry Certification for the Food Science pathway in the 2020-2021 school year. Industry Certification standards are developed collaboratively by the Georgia Department of Education Program Specialists and the state-level business associations. When a program becomes industry certified, it receives a “stamp of excellence”, which represents the apex of program quality. Only those programs that have successfully undergone rigorous reviews by leaders from business and industry are recognized with this distinction. This certification will benefit Chattooga High School students and provide them with employment opportunities and experience, and Industry Certification upon completing the Food Science pathway.

Kayla grew up in Chattooga County, graduated from Chattooga High School and now lives in Summerville. She has one child, Karson, who attends Menlo Elementary. Kayla’s parents, Barbara Hampton and Kenneth Bates, instilled in her a love for her community and a desire to serve it, and their support through the years has been central to Kayla’s successes.

In addition to the support of her family, Kayla gives thanks for the support of her colleagues and students, saying, “I am honored and humbled to be selected as Chattooga High School Teacher of the year. I am thankful for the Chattooga County School system. As a former student, I was shown support and love by the teachers and administration throughout my entire education. That same support and encouragement are what I hope to give back to our community and students. The students of Chattooga High School have shown resilience and dedication in a time of the unknown. We are family, we are ChattoogaStrong.”

 

Savannah Greene 

Spotlight Writer