CCSD is pleased to announce its three finalists for 2026-27 Teacher of the Year: Cindy Alexander of Whitehead Road Elementary School, William “Montu” Miller of Cedar Shoals High School, and Matthew Rubenstein of Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School.
The finalists were chosen from a field of 22 school-level teachers of the year whose applications were evaluated and scored by a district committee in partnership with the Foundation for Excellence in Public Education in Clarke County (FFE). The district Teacher of the Year winner, along with the district Support Professional of the Year, will be announced on October 22 at the district’s Teacher and Support Professional of the Year awards banquet and will receive the FFE’s annual Mae M. Whatley Teacher of the Year and Janis J. Stephens Support Professional of the Year awards. The winning teacher will then go on to compete at the state level.
About Cindy Alexander
With more than two decades of experience in public education, Ms. Alexander is in her 23rd year with CCSD and 18th at Whitehead Road Elementary, where she teaches fourth-grade gifted education. Before joining the staff at WRES, she worked as a special education teacher at Fowler Drive Elementary. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Special Education from the University of Georgia, and both her master’s in Elementary Education and education specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Piedmont University.
“I believe that students must own their learning to truly feel successful,” said Ms. Alexander. “In high school, I was lucky enough to have a teacher provide me with this opportunity, and I have built my entire teaching philosophy around how that experience made me feel as a learner. Throughout each year, I strive to give my students as many opportunities as possible to use their background knowledge, innovativeness, and creativity to solve problems and discover academic phenomena themselves.”
About Montu Miller
Mr. Miller’s involvement with CCSD spans nearly two decades, first as a substitute teacher, then full-time for nine years as a special education paraprofessional at Clarke Central High School from 2010 to 2019, before rejoining the district in 2021 as a social studies teacher at Cedar Shoals, where he currently teaches Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies, Ethnic Studies, and Peer Leadership. He holds a bachelor’s degree in African American Studies from the University of Georgia and his M.A.T. in Secondary Education (History) from Piedmont University.
“I believe scholars rise when the work is meaningful, when they have access to support, and when they own their learning,” said Mr. Miller. “I do not want scholars to leave my course believing learning is something they have to do or something a teacher does to them. I want them to know they can ask questions, find information, make connections, create something from what they learned, and teach somebody else.”
About Matthew Rubenstein
Mr. Rubenstein has more than 20 years of music education experience and has been with CCSD since 2019, first as the orchestra and band director at Clarke Middle School and since 2021 at Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle, where he serves as Director of String Programs and teaches orchestra and classical guitar classes. He previously taught in Liberty, Clayton, and Greene counties prior to joining CCSD. Mr. Rubenstein holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University, a master’s from Georgia College and State University, and his education specialist degree from Piedmont University, all in Music Education.
“When I began teaching more than 20 years ago, I understood why music mattered to me because it had become such a key component of my identity. However, what took longer to recognize was that my students, whom I greeted every day, did not necessarily enter my classroom with shared experiences, culture, language, values, beliefs, or relationship to music,” said Mr. Rubenstein. “If I wanted my students to understand why music matters, I had to go beyond inviting them into my musical world; I also had to enter theirs. …Children enter our lives with unique histories, strengths, fears, and needs. Being a teacher and (an adoptive) father has taught me to look beyond the surface, see past first impressions, build trust through consistency, and never underestimate what it means for a child to know there is a place where they are wanted, valued, and safe.”
Georgia United Credit Union is the presenting sponsor for this year’s CCSD Teacher of the Year recognition program, and Robins Financial Credit Union is the presenting sponsor for the Support Professional of the Year Program. The district’s awards banquet will be hosted by Epting Events at its 1055 Barber venue.