Teacher licensure program graduate selected as Virginia Region 3 teacher of the year

Suzi Sherman, C‘07, a graduate of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies Teacher Licensure Preparation (TLP) program, was named Virginia Region 3 teacher of the year and competed in the state’s Teacher of the Year competition.

On her way toward earning Region 3 teacher of the year honors, Sherman was named Cool Spring Elementary School and King William County Public Schools Teacher of the Year.

Sherman first returned to the classroom as a student after 21 years in operations at Kings Dominion, working multiple part-time jobs while also working as a stay-at-home mom. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University, then completed the TLP program—a graduate certificate that offers coursework required for Virginia teacher licensure—at the University of Richmond.

She completed her student teaching experience at Cool Spring and was later hired as a full-time second grade teacher at the school. Sherman’s cooperating teacher while she completed her  student teaching was Lisa Thompson, C‘11, now principal of the school. Thompson earned a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Richmond.

Sherman was one of only eight finalists statewide vying for top Teacher of the Year honors on October 12. Although Sherman was not named state Teacher of the Year—the winner was Region 2 candidate Kathryn Galford—she retains the unwavering support of her colleagues, leadership, students and parents at Cool Spring.