William Marshall Named JCPS 2025 Teacher of the Year at Annual Flame for Learning Award Event

On April 22, 2025, William Marshall, an American History and Economics and Personal Finance teacher at West Johnston High, was named Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) 2025 Teacher of the Year. In partnership with the Johnston County Coalition of Chambers, the 31st annual Flame for Learning Award celebration was held at The Barn at Broadslab in Benson, honoring all of the 20 semifinalists.

Marshall shined bright in all areas and was recognized as an award finalist alongside Heather Bryant of Clayton High, Lois D'Agostino of West View Elementary, and Brooke Hayward of Riverwood Elementary.

Marshall, a West Johnston alumnus, has been an educator for 10 years and is currently serving as an American History and Economics, and Personal Finance teacher who strives to ensure that each of his students excels in their academics.

He submitted his best practice titled "From Paycheck to Property: Mastering the Art of Homeownership and Financial Foresight", which focuses on equipping high school students with practical knowledge and skills that are essential for managing personal finances, particularly in the context of homeownership. By simulating real-world scenarios where students navigate the complexities of buying a home, budgeting on a given salary, and adapting to unexpected financial challenges, the project fosters a deep understanding of economic principles in action.

Heather Bryant is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Family and Consumer Science (FCS) teacher at Clayton High, whose dedication and love for teaching are evident in everything she does. Whether she is preparing delicious meals for the Clayton High staff with her Foods 2 Teacher Lunches, or ensuring every senior is celebrated as the Senior Advisor, Bryant’s commitment to her students and the school is resolute.

Her practice is titled, “Empowering Student Entrepreneurs: A School-Based Enterprise for Teacher Lunches. This project is designed for a High School Foods II Career and Technical Education (CTE) class, with a focus on culinary arts, entrepreneurship, and business management. It offers students a hands-on, real-world experience by engaging them in running a school-based enterprise that prepares and delivers lunches to teachers. This initiative merges food service skills with entrepreneurial practices, preparing students for careers in both culinary arts and business.

Lois D’Agostino is a third-grade English Language Arts teacher at West View Elementary. D’Agostino is known for her passionate approach to education and is noted by her colleagues and administration. State data has shown that her methods are effective, as she has exceeded and/or met growth on EVAAS for the past five years.

D’Agostino submitted her best practice titled, “Buzzing To Learn Book Quests”, with the intent of instilling a love for reading. The practice offers students a broad selection of books they can choose from, and is coupled with creative reading spaces which include flexible seating, nooks, wobble stools, lap and traditional desks. Students can work on their own or with their reading team, also known as their “hive”.

Brooke Hayward is a third-grade English and Language Arts teacher at Riverwood Elementary School and has been in education for nearly 20 years. Her comprehensive understanding of education and her ability to relate to students and staff have proven to be effective in her efforts inside and outside of the classroom.

Hayward submitted her best practice titled, “Multi-tiered mentoring program called RISE, which meets the basic social and emotional needs of elementary school students, while, at

the same time, developing leadership skills in high school students.” The initiative, which requires collaboration from many internal and external partners, serves the purpose of meeting the needs of elementary students who have frequent behavior problems, challenging home lives, and/or social and emotional struggles.

By including the analysis of data with the School Improvement Team (SIT), and an innovative approach to assigning high school leaders to the elementary students within the program, RISE not only meets the needs of the elementary students but also provides leadership opportunities for the high school students, and a meaningful way of investing in their community.

Nearly 150 friends, family members, district administrators, board members, sponsors, and stakeholders gathered for the prestigious award ceremony. The evening’s keynote speaker was Jennifer Burgess, Assistant Professor of English at Meredith College.

In 1994, the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce adopted the Flame For Learning Award because of the importance of teachers in developing and educating children. Their goal is to support and elevate the teaching profession in JCPS. This award recognizes outstanding creativity and innovation in teachers selected strictly on merit, without regard to school or residence.

Through a blind judging process, 20 semifinalists, representing the many areas of the school district, were nominated by their colleagues and administrators. Afterwards, they engaged in various processes, including an interview phase followed by a request to submit their classroom best practices for review.

As the winner, Marshall received $1,000 from event sponsors and will represent Johnston County in the regional competition for North Carolina’s Teacher of the Year.

Finalists Bryant, D'Agostino, and Hayward received $500 each, and the remaining semifinalists received $150 each. All cash awards were made possible thanks to the 2025 Flame For Learning Award sponsors.

The 20 semifinalists for 2025 Teacher of the Year are:

• Micaela Acosta - Selma Elementary
• Heather Bryant - Clayton High
• LiAnn Cheong - Riverwood Elementary
• Karin Chmelo - East Clayton Elementary
• Lois D'Agostino - West View Elementary
• Edgar Delgado - Selma Elementary
• Nicole Fye - West View Elementary
• Amy Harder - Clayton High
• Brooke Hayward - Riverwood Elementary
• Amera Hemans - Cooper Elementary
• Dorothy Holley - West Johnston High
• Bethany Jones - Smithfield-Selma High
• Gail Lawhorn - River Dell Elementary
• William Marshall - West Johnston High
• Karen Newhart - Riverwood Elementary
• Karen Oden - Cleveland Elementary
• Jeff Peake - Clayton High
• Kelsey Torres - West View Elementary
• Michelle Von Hoene - East Clayton Elementary
• Cori Walker - South Johnston High

This year’s Flame For Learning Award program was made possible by several sponsors, including Title Sponsor Chick-fil-A of Smithfield, Diamond Sponsor Walmart, Platinum Sponsor Novo Nordisk, and Gold sponsors Benson Area Chamber, Grand Canyon University, Lumos, and Mast Law Firm.

Silver Sponsors are Armstrong Law Firm, P.A., BigBoy’s Truckstop, Breeden Law Office, Carolina Packers, Inc., Central Air, Inc., Integrity Storage at McGee’s Crossroads, and Mitchell Temporary Services, Inc.

Bronze Sponsors include Clayton Chamber of Commerce, Coldwell Banker Advantage - Beth Watson, Four Oaks Area Chamber of Commerce, and Representative Donna McDowell White.

On behalf of Johnston County Public Schools, the Johnston County Board of Education, and the Johnston County Coalition of Chambers, congratulations to all of the nominees and William Marshall, our 2025 Teacher of the Year.