28 Mar Teacher of the Year 2022

Over the past two years, schools all over the country have been challenged due to the global pandemic. Ranging from new variants of the COVID-19 virus, the need to provide students remote instruction while still ensuring a quality level of education is instilled in our students, and the challenge of operational and staffing challenges.

With the ever-changing health concerns forcing our educators to adapt their classrooms as needed, the selected faculty of various Baldwin County Public Schools who took part in this year’s Teacher of the Year banquet have left us amazed by their resilience.

This year, we honored 50 Teachers of the Year, one from each of Baldwin County’s Public Schools, all of whom were selected by their fellow faculty members. As one of the fastest-growing school systems in the state, the number of honorees continues to grow each year.

We also announced the County Elementary Teacher of the Year and County Secondary Teacher of the Year, both selected by a committee of their peers who review all the necessary qualifications to earn the title, County Teacher of the Year. County winners will act as ambassadors for Baldwin County throughout the year with recognition at community events as well as speaking engagements throughout Baldwin County. They will also progress to compete at the region and state level for Alabama Teacher of the Year. We were so pleased to have a night where we could celebrate all exceptional educators in our community.

Mrs. Tori Erdossy teaches fourth grade English language arts and social studies at Fairhope West Elementary, where she has been employed for eight years. As a first-generation college student, she knows the importance of education and is thrilled to give back to the schools that shaped her and set her on her path as an educator. She holds a Master of Arts in Reading Education and plans to pursue certification in school leadership.

Mrs. Erdossy is an eMINTS certified teacher and recognizes that STEAM education can transform learning for every student. She consistently implements project-based learning and real-world tasks in her classroom. Through these engaging and authentic learning experiences, her students are obtaining critical life skills along with reaching academic goals.

She strives to build strong relationships with her students and provides a loving and comfortable learning environment. Mrs. Erdossy is honored to serve the children and families of her community and hopes to ignite a passion for learning in all those who enter her classroom.

She and her husband, Nathan, live in Fairhope with their four children.

Ms. Patsy Brantley serves ESL students at Robertsdale High Schools in Robertsdale, AL. Before arriving at Robertsdale, she earned a B.A. in Organizational/Interpersonal Communications, an M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language, an Ed.D. in Teacher Leader and a National Board Certification in English as a New Language. She also has practiced teaching in Karawaci, Indonesia, Tulsa, OK and Katy, TX.

Ms. Brantley’s passion for learning and people is contagious to her students and fellow teachers. She assists students in navigating the complexities of obtaining driver’s licenses, birth certificates and passports as well as working closely with local colleges to provide equal opportunities for international students, assisting with the process from application to acceptance.

Ms. Brantley is the founder of the Spanish National Honor Society chapter at Robertsdale High School and the first chapter of H.o.P.e, Hispanic Organization Promoting Education, in Alabama. She invests her heart and soul to promote positive outcomes for students in their local communities, challenging them to find noteworthy ways to contribute and make them exceptional individuals.

Ms. Brantley and her two daughters enjoy tennis, music, the beach and competitive games. In her free time, she enjoys learning other languages as well as singing and playing the piano.

Congratulations to our exceptional educators! The Baldwin County community is better because of you and your efforts.