DeSoto County honors Teachers of the Year and spotlights New Teacher Academy mentorship program

Superintendent leadership and the board gathered to recognize the district’s Teachers of the Year and to hear a detailed presentation on the New Teacher Academy’s mentor program.

Amanda Samples, introduced as the assistant superintendent of academic services, read the list of honorees from multiple zones and schools across the district. First Horizon Bank’s Michael Parker, the event sponsor, thanked teachers and told honorees there were gift bags and prizes waiting in the lobby: "First Horizon Bank is just really proud to sponsor the teachers of the year," he said.

The New Teacher Academy mentors described the program’s core objectives—relationship-building, on-site professional development, recruitment support and practical coaching in classrooms. Mentor presenters said the program moved beyond one-off orientation to ongoing year-two support and monthly check-ins, and that it has grown based on teacher feedback. "New Teacher Academy has personally meant so much to me," said Stephanie Pinkston, a second-grade teacher at Lake Comer Elementary School, describing support she received while moving from an emergency license to a five-year license. First-year teacher Ally Smith said the sessions were a “blessing” that supplied classroom-ready strategies she could immediately use.

Presenters told the board the program had more than 230 attendees this year, including teachers from other districts and states, and noted the district gave every attendee a $25 Walmart gift card at a January session to help offset costs. The mentors also said they pilot and adapt sessions—citing a January professional-development session intended to reenergize teachers midyear and a high-attendance engagement session that teachers say is especially useful.

Board members congratulated the honorees and approved a brief recess so families and staff could take photos. No formal board action beyond recognition and the later routine consent votes was taken on the New Teacher Academy presentation. The district’s mentors asked the board to continue supporting the program, which they said builds teacher retention and readiness across schools.