Each year, the education honor society recognizes educators who have made significant contributions to their students and the community. Monday’s ceremony honored Jim David, Tonya Cawood, Angela Lawson, Robin Lawson, Julie Mitchell, Autumn O’Bryan, and Missy Welch.
Jim David is a seventh-grade Virtual Learning Academy instructor at Cleveland Middle School. He has eight years of experience in education, also teaching seventh- and eighth-grade social studies in the past. He is a member of the National Education Association and National Council for Social Studies.
David was named Building Level Middle School Teacher of the Year, Applebee’s Teacher of the Month in fall 2009, and has been selected to participate in Appalachia Corridor Teaching American History grant, as well as study with the Navajo by the Center for Civic Education.
Tonya Cawood presently teaches seventh-grade science at Cleveland Middle School and serves as the middle school cheer coach. She has taught for 10 years and is a member of the NEA, the Tennessee Education Association, and the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators.
Many schools in the Cleveland area have benefited from the service of Angela Lawson. Over the last 15 years, she held teaching and administrative positions at Michigan Avenue Elementary, Waterville Community Elementary, Bradley Central, Cleveland High School, E.L. Ross Elementary, Tyner High School, and Blue Springs Elementary where she is currently the principal.
She is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, National Association of Elementary School Principals, Tennessee’s Principal Association, and Bradley County Principal Association.
Robin Lawson, currently a special education teacher at Charleston Elementary, has served as a special education assistant for more than 20 years. She is a recent member of KDP and received the Paraprofessional of the Year award through Special Education.
Lawson is also heavily involved at her home church, Bellefounte Baptist, where she serves in the Children’s Ministry as a Sunday school teacher.
Julie Mitchell has worked in the world of education for 18 years. She currently teaches social studies at Lake Forest Middle School. She has received numerous awards for teaching and curriculum, and has presented at several national educational conferences.
Mitchell is a member of Tennessee Holocaust Commission, U.S. Department of Education Teacher Training Corps, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Tennessee Association of Middle Schools, National Middle Schools Association, NCSS, Tennessee Geographic Alliance, and Alpha Delta Kappa.
Autumn O’Bryan, former assistant principal of Red Bank High School, currently serves as the principal at Cleveland High. O’Bryan has also served as a curriculum coordinator, technology coordinator, research coordinator, and spent six years on Lee University’s coaching staff.
O’Bryan, a member of the NEA, TEA and KDP, was also named in Who’s Who Among Graduate Students in American Universities and Colleges.
Seven years of excellence in educating has not gone unnoticed for Missy Welch. This first-grade teacher at Michigan Avenue Elementary has received teacher of the year and teacher of the month awards. She is also a member of NEA, Association for Childhood Education International, and Bradley County Education Association.
KDP also welcomed 28 new student members. The inductees were Natalie Ballard, Sarah Bronson, Emily Browning, Daris Burke, Sarah Cantrell, Jennifer Cobb, Meagan Cook, Jenna Creps, Laura Currier, Lauren Curry, Rebekah Eble, Samantha Ford, Melody Hall, Rachael Huber, Lynita Lively, Katherine McCredie, Rachel Massingale, Patricia Mulcahy, Kelcey Murray, Paige Pittman, Delia Price, Rebekah Rowland, Alex Sandoval, Holly Shawyer, Dustin C. Whinery, Elizabeth Williams, Laura Willis and Lauren Wood. The purpose of Kappa Delta Pi is to encourage high professional, intellectual, and personal standards and to recognize outstanding contributions to education. The motto of KDP is “Knowledge, Duty, Power.”
KDP was established in 1911 as an Honor Education Fraternity and was changed in 1981 to “An International Honor Society in Education.”
For more information on Kappa Delta Pi, contact the College of Education at 614-8175.
