In 2013, Dr. Jemelleh Coes was nominated to represent Bulloch County as Teacher of the Year. She went on to become Georgia’s 2014 Teacher of the Year. She taught middle grades English/language arts and math in both the general and special education setting.
She is the Director of Teacher Leadership at Mount Holyoke College where she leads the program, develops curriculum, and provides professional development opportunities for teacher leaders. She is also a professor at the University of Georgia where she teaches future educators along with future professionals dedicated to disability advocacy. She also serves as a teacher mentor for classroom teachers throughout the state. In this capacity, she supports teachers with career development and special projects. Her work is about helping other educators grow. Through this, she is thankful to be able to learn from some of the most exciting and uniquely innovative educators in the country!
Her work has a laser focus on equity and disrupting traditional ways of engaging in education. She believes that equity is the thread that runs through everything!
Jemelleh says, “In the sweater of life, if you remove the equity thread, you can guarantee indecent exposure.”