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Savannah-Chatham County school district names 2026 Teacher of the Year; staff and principals honored
Summary
The Savannah-Chatham County school district announced Jennifer Hughes of Southwest Elementary as its 2026 Teacher of the Year, recognized Jabari Hyman as Instructional Support Person of the Year and named principals including Principal Alford and Dean McBride among principal awardees during an awards presentation.
Jennifer Hughes, a teacher at Southwest Elementary School, was named the Savannah-Chatham County school district’s 2026 Teacher of the Year during an awards presentation. The district also recognized Jabari Hyman as Instructional Support Person of the Year and mentioned Principal Alford and Dean McBride in announcing principal awards.
The awards ceremony highlighted classroom leadership and support roles across the district. “I’m very excited to step into this role. I’m very proud to be a member of this school district. So, I’m just I’m really looking forward to finding out everything that it is entailed with this and what my new responsibilities are gonna be,” Jennifer Hughes said after being announced as Teacher of the Year.
A district presenter praised the honorees’ dedication to students, saying their “passion for education and [their] relentless pursuit of excellence are shaping the future in extraordinary ways.” A school resource officer, speaking at the same event, described support staff and officers as part of school culture and climate: “We play a big part in culture and climate ... for me in my position as a SRO, I can make a big impact on kids and students for an officer.”
Wilbert Tompkins (the school) and its instructional leadership were also singled out; the principal of that school (name not specified in the transcript) said being the instructional leader there and receiving recognition “means a lot” to the school community and “is gonna help us to elevate and do many more great things.”
Speakers noted the personal side of the awards: Hughes said her mother drove from Colorado to attend. The transcript records no formal board votes or policy actions tied to the announcements; the segment consisted of recognition remarks and brief acceptance comments.
The district did not provide further details in the transcript about selection criteria, the selection committee, or whether the awards carry stipends or other compensations.
