By Samantha Sinclair
Staff Writer
CARNESVILLE — A Franklin County Middle School teacher is being recognized in a statewide contest in which the community could help her win.
Amber Adams was nominated for the Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement’s Hidden Heroes contest.
The contest celebrates educators for acts of service that could go unnoticed and encourages the community to celebrate their actions.
For the contest, people vote once per day through Nov. 30 for their favorite nominee.
The top three will receive prizes ranging from $350-$1,100 in value, and will be featured on social media.
It is the second year of the contest, which was inspired by the institute’s mission to uplift school leaders.
Principal C.J. Wilder said Adams was nominated because she volunteered to lead the school’s after school program in addition to her duties as a special education teacher.
“She, like all of our teachers, continues to go above and beyond for the best interest of our students,” Wilder said.
The after school program is new to help combat the learning loss in math and English/language arts caused by the pandemic.
She, along with teacher Beth Strickland, volunteered to lead the program and organized it, including recruiting other teachers to work with the students.
“I wanted to help make an impact on those students, and help bring our scores up,” Adams said.
The program averages 50 kids each afternoon, but she said they could serve more students if they had more bus drivers.
There are four teachers and one paraprofessional for each grade level.
The students get 30-35 minutes of both math and English/language arts instruction, plus a snack and a break.
Adams said she and Strickland were hoping to evolve the program into more of a homework help program.
Strickland said some students learn more in the smaller class setting the program provides, and that she’s had teachers report that they’ve seen improvement.
Adams said she was honored when learned with the rest of the staff that she had been nominated.
“I feel like I do what I’m supposed to do,” Adams said. “I don’t need an award for it.”
Strickland said Adams doesn’t like being the center of attention, and that’s exactly why she needs to be recognized.
“She’s a great teacher,” Strickland said.
There are 58 total nominees in the contest this year.
First place will win a Herman Miller Cosm Chair and a $200 Amazon gift card, second place will win an Apple Watch Series 6 and $100 Amazon gift card, and third place will win a Tumi Laptop Backpack and a $50 Amazon gift card.
Every nominee will receive a $25 gift card.
All prizes are sponsored by Georgia Power.
To vote, visit glisi.me/hiddenheroes2021. As of Monday, Adams had 172 votes and was in 15th place.