Loyd Star Attendance Center teacher Julia Brown has beenselected as the Lincoln County School District’s Teacher of theYear for her work with the school’s third-grade students.

“It’s a great privilege to be able to represent such a greatschool district,” Brown said. “I’ve been in the school district for26 years, and I’ve had more good times than challenging times.”

Brown said the 2008-09 school year was not without challenges,but her 8- and 9-year-old students were prepared to meet thosechallenges.

“I’m challenged to teach them, but they are more motivated totake on my challenge,” she said.

Brown said she and her students enjoyed a rewarding year in partbecause parent/teacher communication has improved. She saidteachers have more access to parents to let them know how theirchild is progressing in the classroom.

Improved parent/teacher communication is being complemented byimproved teacher/teacher communication, Brown said. She said sheand her fellow Loyd Star teachers have healthy workingrelationships, a quality that makes weekly planning sessions moreeffective in the classroom.

“Our plans were easier, and it was easier to teach children tosucceed,” Brown said.

Other teachers selected for Teacher of the Year within theirrespective schools were Andrew Redd, a math and physics teacher atWest Lincoln Attendance Center; Jessica Prather, a seventh- andeighth-grade math teacher at Enterprise Attendance Center; andMelane Crosby, a kindergarten teacher at Bogue Chitto AttendanceCenter.

Superintendent Terry Brister said the Teacher of the Year awardswere “something special,” especially considering the uncertaintimes created by budgetary concerns and the increased demands onteachers to meet new guidelines.

“When you think about education 10 years ago, there’s nocomparison today about what you go through in terms of what isexpected of you, the demands, the stress,” he said.