Teacher of the Year - Lexington County School District One

Teacher of the Year, Beth Ancone

Lexington County School District One proudly named Deerfield Elementary’s Elizabeth (Beth) T. Ancone its District Teacher of the Year at the annual Teacher of the Year Celebration, honoring outstanding teachers who exemplify a commitment and dedication to educating students. Ancone, a special education teacher, now goes on to compete in next year’s state-level Teacher of the Year program.

The district’s Teacher of the Year celebration was held on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at 6:30 P.M. at the Performing Arts Center at River Bluff High School.

Ancone empowers her students with disabilities to defy expectations and strives to create a dynamic, adaptable classroom where every student’s milestone and accomplishment, no matter how small, is celebrated as a testament to their potential. An educator for 21 years, Ancone earned a Bachelor of Science in exercise science with an emphasis in motor development from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Arts in Teaching in special education from the College of Charleston.

Meet the School-Level Teachers of the Year

Lexington County School District One’s 32 schools recently chose one certified educator to represent them in the district’s 2025–26 Teacher of the Year selection process.

The newest class of Lexington One Teachers of the Year include Beechwood Middle’s Shannon Boatwright, Carolina Springs Elementary’s Fannie Boeman, Carolina Springs Middle’s Saadia Cardwell, Centerville Elementary’s Leianne Glymph, Deerfield Elementary’s Hope Hartley, Forts Pond Elementary’s Parker Areheart, Gilbert Elementary’s Kody Taylor, Gilbert High’s Cielo Holt, Gilbert Middle’s Celine Miller, Lake Murray Elementary’s Ashley Yelman, Lakeside Middle’s Joanna Connell, Lexington Elementary’s Kerri Santulli, Lexington High’s Jessica Bonnette, Lexington Technology Center’s Amy Cooper, Meadow Glen Elementary’s Jessica Thrift, Meadow Glen Middle’s Susan Myrick, Midway Elementary’s Adriana Garcia, New Providence Elementary’s Adele Yanssens, Oak Grove Elementary’s Lindsay Resnick, Pelion Elementary’s Michelle “Dona” Vestal, Pelion High’s Justin Tipton, Pelion Middle’s Sarah Burke, Pleasant Hill Elementary’s Mary Elizabeth Copeland, Pleasant Hill Middle’s Merrissa Ritch, Red Bank Elementary’s Donee Taylor, River Bluff High’s Walt Overbay, Rocky Creek Elementary’s Sarah Simms, Saxe Gotha Elementary’s Ana Carmen Cimpian, South Lake Elementary’s Blair King, White Knoll Elementary’s Emily Cava, White Knoll High’s Kayla Finn and White Knoll Middle’s Lauren Blakely.

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The Process

The district’s Teacher of the Year selection process begins in May when each school’s Teacher of the Year from the previous year and the principal explain the teacher selection process to all their certified employees.

Every school then puts together a ballot with a list of eligible certified staff to serve as Teacher of the Year, and the voting begins. In the first round, staff members select three names. In the second round, staff select from the top five finalists. Then, the teacher who receives the most votes becomes the school’s new Teacher of the Year and continues in the competition.

In July, school-level Teachers of the Year submit a written application responding to specific questions. This round uses four teams of judges to methodically and carefully review and score applications from all 31 school-level Teachers of the Year.

In January and February, another team of judges observes each school-level Teacher of the Year teaching in the classroom.

Each team uses a different rubric. There is one rubric for scoring the applications and another rubric for scoring the observation.

District TOY coordinators total the scores for application content and classroom observation for each school-level Teacher of the Year. The teacher with the highest overall total becomes District Teacher of the Year.

The Teacher of the Year process culminates at the annual Teacher of the Year Celebration, which celebrates all school-level Teachers of the Year and announces the new District Teacher of the Year.

The new District Teacher of the Year will represent Lexington One in next year’s state-level Teacher of the Year competition.

Mary Meech Mungo Award

In 2006, the Mungo family and Lexington District One entered into a partnership. That year, the Mungo family created the Mary Meech Mungo Award given to the Lexington County School District One District Teacher of the Year.

This annual $1,000 award pays tribute to excellence in education and the dedicated teachers who provide their students with a quality education that prepares them for a successful future.

Mary Meech Mungo graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1947. Although she began her studies in engineering, she finished with a degree in education. Mungo was a dedicated elementary teacher in Richland County School District One for many years.

Not only did she give back to her community through teaching young people, she was also an advocate for those with mental illness and a member of the Alston Wilkes Society.

A lifelong member of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, this dedicated wife, mother and teacher lost her battle with cancer in 1978.

What’s Happening

Lexington One names 2025–26 school-level Teachers of the Year

May 9 2025

Lexington One names DES’s Beth Ancone Teacher of the Year

Mar 28 2025

Lexington One names OGES’s Cheryl Bartolotti Teacher of the Year

Mar 27 2024

Mark your calendars for the Teacher of the Year Celebration!

Mar 12 2024