--- title: HR 2045. Muscogee County School District's 2026 Teachers of the Year; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr2045 cite_as: HR 2045, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr2045 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr2045.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr2045/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74622 date: 2026-03-31 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr2044.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr2046.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr2045.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 2045 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-31 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Debbie Buckner - Carolyn Hugley - Vance Smith - Teddy Reese - Carmen Rice text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR2045/2025 upstream_id: 2140205 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - teacher recognition - Muscogee County schools - education awards - Georgia House resolutions --- # HR 2045. Muscogee County School District's 2026 Teachers of the Year; commend ## Text House Resolution 2045 By: Representatives Buckner of the 137th, Hugley of the 141st, Smith of the 138th, Reese of the 140th, and Rice of the 139th A RESOLUTION Congratulating and commending the Muscogee County School District's 2026 Teachers of the Year; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, a proper quality education for the young people of this state is the single most important objective of the General Assembly; and WHEREAS, in 1996, a group of committed and devoted citizens organized the Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation, which strives to enhance the quality of education in Muscogee County by providing support to teachers; and WHEREAS, since its creation, this outstanding foundation has grown into one of the leading advocates of excellence in public education in the county; and WHEREAS, the following educators are recipients of the foundation's 2026 Teacher of the Year award and are deserving of acknowledgment for their exemplary service to the youth of Muscogee County: Missy Morgan, Britt David Magnet Academy; Kanovva Jackson, Brewer Elementary School; Sydney Poe, Blanchard Elementary School; Morgan Joiner, Blackmon Road Middle School; Joy Moore, Baker Middle School; Dr. Norell Combs, Arnold Magnet Academy; Bliss Wright, Allen Elementary School; Angela Moore, Aaron Cohn Middle School; Chris Carter, Clubview Elementary School; Brendle Moyer, Columbus High School; Kimberly Grant, Dimon Magnet Academy; Madison Tappan, Dorothy Height Elementary School; Lisa Blackmon, Double Churches Elementary School; Mandy Chase, Double Churches Middle School; Alana Guevara, Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy; Aubrey Smith, Eagle Ridge Academy; Denisha Mack, East Columbus Magnet Academy; Anissa Alvarado, Eddy Middle School; LaQuanta Strickland, Forrest Road Elementary School; Jennifer Smith, Wood Fort Service-Learning Magnet Academy; Emily Gaydon, Fox Elementary School; Christopher Nance, G.W. Carver High School; Miranda Zelaya, Gentian Elementary School; Heather Tribble, Georgetown Elementary School; Tiffany Powell, Hannan Elementary Magnet Academy; Ja'Nyah Jefferson, Hardaway High School; Tiffiny Rigsby, J.D. Davis Elementary School; Gina Norris, Johnson Elementary School; Melvin Jackson, Jordan Vocational College and Career Academy; Lola Farley, Kendrick High School; Jessika Tye, Key Elementary School; Amber Marcus, Lonnie Jackson Academy; Carolyn Bingham, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School; Valandria Burke, Mary A. Buckner Academy; Jaime Holmes, Mathews Elementary School; Thelma Odom, Midland Academy; Sierra Brooks, Midland Middle School; Oveyana Washington, North Columbus Elementary School; Bethani McNelly, Northside High School; Matt White, Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts; Gerald Schofield, Reese Road Elementary School; Monika Bishop-McElwee, Richards Middle School; Madison Lavender, Rigdon Road Elementary School; Shannon Woolridge, River Road Elementary School; Teanna Flemister, Rothschild Leadership Academy; Laquinta Gallishaw-Gonzalez, Shaw High School; Tiffani Smith-Burch, South Columbus Elementary School; Joshua Bowman, Spencer High School; Courtney Phillips, St. Elmo Center for the Gifted; Lyla Cook, Veterans Memorial Middle School; Khalilah Wallace, Waddell Elementary School; Carolyn Kirkland, Wesley Heights Elementary School; and Kati Morrell, Wynnton Arts Academy; and WHEREAS, each of these honorees has earned distinction for teaching excellence as a result of their dedication to their students and their profession and has been honored as their school's 2026 Teacher of the Year; and WHEREAS, in recognition of such remarkable contributions to the education and welfare of Georgia's students, it is abundantly fitting and proper for this body to honor the extraordinary accomplishments and academic achievements of these outstanding educators. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body congratulate and commend the Muscogee County School District's 2026 Teachers of the Year and express their most sincere best wishes for continued success. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to each individual named herein. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution formally congratulates the Muscogee County School District's 2026 Teachers of the Year, naming dozens of educators honored by each of the district's schools. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honors the Muscogee County School District's 2026 Teacher of the Year award recipients. It names one teacher from each school in the district who was recognized for the 2026 school year, credits the Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation (founded in 1996) for supporting teacher recognition efforts in the county, and states that the General Assembly considers quality education for young Georgians one of its most important objectives. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. Its only operative actions are congratulating the named teachers and directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare copies of the resolution for distribution to each honoree. ### What it does - Congratulates and commends by name each of the roughly 50 educators named as their school's 2026 Teacher of the Year in the Muscogee County School District. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare copies of the resolution for distribution to each named teacher. - Recognizes the Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation for its role since 1996 in supporting teachers and public education in the county. - Creates no new law, funding, or penalty; it is a ceremonial statement of recognition rather than a change to the Georgia Code. ### Who it affects The named teachers across Muscogee County School District schools, the Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who must prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to each honoree. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial consequence; it does not create funding, requirements, or penalties. Its practical effect is public recognition, giving named teachers and their schools a formal record of the honor from the Georgia House of Representatives. ### Key provisions - The preamble recites the history of the Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation, established in 1996 to support teachers in the county. - The preamble lists each 2026 Teacher of the Year recipient by name alongside their school. - The first resolving clause has the House of Representatives congratulate and commend the named teachers and wish them continued success. - The second resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to each named individual. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-31) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-31) - Sponsors: Debbie Buckner, Carolyn Hugley, Vance Smith, Teddy Reese, Carmen Rice - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74622 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr2045.md?full=1