Top of her class

            Audrey Gay, a veteran elementary schools teacher at both Chapman and now Franklin County School, has been chosen for the 2009 Excellence Award by the Foundation of Excellence in Education, one of only 81 teachers throughout the state to earn this honor. The award is based on the results of a reading or math teacher’s FCAT scores for the past three years, and given to educators whose students learned at least one-and-one-half times that of the state’s average, or the equivalent of 50 percent more. The foundation noted that Gay’s low performing students in math, who scored 1s and 2s on the FCATS, made the greatest annual growth for three consecutive years. Gay, pictured above with Principal George Oehlert, will be honored at the Dec. 5 “Celebration of Teaching” in Orlando, featuring former Governor Jeb Bush. Chairman Jimmy Gander told the Nov. 12 school board meeting that the award did not come as a surprise to him, since he has long noticed Gay working late in her classroom. “She’s usually the last car to leave,” he said.