JACKSON — Monte Freeman has been selected as Northampton County Schools’ Teacher of the Year.

On Monday night, Freeman, the director of bands and choir at Northampton County High School-West STEM along with runner-up, A. Faye Young, a Reading Recovery teacher at Squire Elementary, and other nominees were honored by the Northampton County Board of Education.

Being selected as Teacher of the Year will allow Freeman to go on to Regional Teacher of the Year competition, where he could be chosen for the state level and may eventually go on to the national selection.

Freeman’s students have been selected for the North Carolina All-District Band. Under his leadership, NCHS-West STEM won the first NC 2A Show Style State Champions’ title. He is currently Vice-President of the North Carolina Show Style Band Director’s Association.

Freeman was previously a band camp instructor at Knightdale High School and Winter Color Guard Instructor at Johnson C. Smith University.

Freeman is a member of the North Carolina Association of Educators, NC Music Educators Association, and the Music Educators’ National Conference. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in music education from Elizabeth City State University and is currently enrolled in that school’s Master of Arts in school administration degree program.

He also serves as director of the Roanoke Salem Missionary Baptist Church Community Choir.

“Monte Freeman is a leader among his peers in arts education and a wonderful representative for all the teachers in Northampton County Schools,” said Superintendent Dr. Eric C. Bracy. “We are so proud of the work that Mr. Freeman and our other teachers do to encourage and inspire excellence in our students.  I know that he will represent our district well in the regional and state competition for North Carolina Teacher of the Year honors. We applaud his selection.”

Dr. Al Wentzy with the Northampton County Education Foundation presented a check to both Freeman and Young.

Teacher of the Year nominees included Sarita Palmer, a third grade teacher at Central Elementary School; Monica Davis, a math teacher at the Northampton Alternative School; Alice Hill, an English teacher at NCHS-East; and Marianna Cotten, a second grade teacher at Willis Hare Elementary.

The Teacher of the Year committee, comprised of educators and individuals from the community, selected the Teacher of the Year.