Teacher honored by state
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on January 10, 2016 1:45 AM
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Josie David
A teacher in Wayne County Public Schools who started as a volunteer in her son's school has been recognized by the state with a Teacher of Excellence Award.
The N.C. State Department of Public Instruction presented the 2015 Exceptional Children Teacher of Excellence awards to one EC teacher or related service provider in each of the state's 115 school districts during a recognition event held recently in Greensboro.
Josie David, an exceptional children teacher at both Rosewood middle and high schools, is the local honoree and was also acknowledged during Monday night's school board meeting.
School board member Jennifer Strickland explained the significance of the honor during the board spotlight portion of the January meeting.
"In addition to having at least five years of school-level experience, an Exceptional Children Teacher of Excellence must maintain a student caseload and deliver daily instruction or therapy/services to students with disabilities, and be recognized as a leader in service to the school and/or school district through innovative instructional programs or methodologies that have demonstrated positive outcomes for students with disabilities," she said. "An Exceptional Children Teacher of Excellence also has proven leadership, dedication and service in extracurricular and nonacademic activities, which have improved the quality of education for exceptional children and youth."
Mrs. David has a bachelor's degree in sociology. She first became involved in the school system as a volunteer in her son's school, going on to become a substitute teacher.
For seven years, she was an instructional assistant at Rosewood Elementary School, and in 2011 she became a lateral entry special education teacher at Rosewood Middle.
"Those who know Mrs. David say serving two schools makes for a very challenging schedule," Mrs. Strickland said. "However, she goes above and beyond every day to ensure the needs of her students have been met.
"In addition to working to improve her knowledge and skills, her nomination states that she always works to understand and meet the needs of her students who have diverse needs. She also gives her personal time to meet regularly with her colleagues to review paperwork for the purpose of maintaining compliance and always asks others if there is anything that she can do to lighten up her colleagues' load."
In addition to her role in the schools, Mrs. David has also served in various leadership positions with the Autism Society of North Carolina of Wayne County.
Recipients of the state award also received a paid registration and mileage reimbursement to the Exceptional Children Division 65th annual conference, attended a ceremony in their honor and had their picture displayed in a prominent location throughout the conference.