CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Chesapeake Public Schools, or CPS, are honoring the district’s top educators this week with the Teacher of the Year Ceremony.
The district announced the four winners, listed below, at last night's event.
Chesapeake Public Schools Teachers of the Year:
Rachel Hickey, an English as a Second Language teacher at G.W. Carver Intermediate School, is the Chesapeake Teacher of the Year! Hickey works with third, fourth and fifth grade students. She also works with students outside the classroom by serving on the Latino & Hispanic Heritage Committee and the Girls on the Run Committee at her school. She is the district’s nominee for the 2024 Virginia State Teacher of the Year program.
Victoria Brannen, a fifth grade teacher at Sparrow Road Intermediate, is the Elementary Teacher of the Year recipient! In addition to her responsibilities as a fifth grade instructor, Brannen has advised the robotics club and served as a grade-level chair. Some of her math lessons aired on WHRO Education Television.
Kristen Strickland, a technology integration specialist at Deep Creek Middle School, is the Middle School Teacher of the Year! Before working at Deep Creek Middle, she taught at Oscar Smith Middle. She has held her current position at Deep Creek Middle since 2020.
Joy Speelman, a workforce development coordinator at the Chesapeake Career Center, is the High School Teacher of the Year! She has previously worked at Woodrow Wilson High School and Indian River High School. She has been with the Chesapeake Career Center since 2019.
Congratulations to all the award recipients!
