Toccoa Native Wilcher Named DJJ Teacher of the Year
At the May meeting of the Board of Juvenile Justice, DJJ Commissioner Reynolds-Cobb, Deputy Superintendent Letunya Walker, and Board Chair Sandra Heath Taylor awarded Ms. Katherine Wilcher the 2023-2024 DJJ Teacher of the Year award.
Katherine Wilcher, a Toccoa Native and a former teacher in the Stephens County School System, has been named the 2023 – 2024 Department of Juvenile Justice Teacher of the Year.
In a recent announcement of the award, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice Commissioner Shawanda Reynolds-Cobb praised Wilcher’s commitment as a 6th through 12th grade mathematics teacher at the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center.
Calling Wilcher a “beacon of inspiration,” Reynolds-Cobb said “(Wilcher’s) gentle, thoughtful and confident approach has surely contributed to her success with students. I am grateful to have her on our team of educators.”
According to the DJJ press release, Wilcher’s teaching career began in 2012 as a teacher in the Stephens County School System under her provisional teaching certificate. WHile teaching during the 2012-13 school year, she earned a certification from the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy program, an alternative teaching certification pathway for those with bachelor’s degrees who want to transition into the teaching profession. Wilcer was the first in the county to earn the certification. Wilcher holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from Piedmont College in Demorest. Wilcher joined the Department of Juvenile Justice team in 2016. She was also awarded the Faithful Service Award by the DJJ in 2022.