Moseley Elementary educator named school district’s Teacher of the Year

Putnam County School District Teacher of the Year Asia Kellner stands between Superintendent Rick Surrency, left, and Moseley Elementary School Principal Tony Benford on Friday after being recognized as the countywide winner.
Positively Putnam FL

The excited scream coming from Moseley Elementary School’s principal nearly drowned out the announcement at the Jim Pignato Theatre of the 2022 Teacher of the Year.

Principal Tony Benford had reason to celebrate because Moseley teacher Asia Kellner took home the Putnam County School District’s top award Friday night and will go on to represent the county in the statewide Teacher of the Year competition.

“We believe Mrs. Kellner is successful because she has the vision to care for students beyond the classroom,” Benford said in a tribute video to Kellner. “The instructional expectations she requires from her students is a testament of treating students fair, believing in their academic growth and loving them through their learning process.”

The two-hour Employee of the Year Recognition Ceremony honored 39 district employees. District officials named Marta Arthur, a district bus driver in West Putnam, as the department-based, support-related Employee of the Year.

“It’s not very often that someone who’s not in the classroom shows such interest and care for their students,” said Tonya Whitehurst, the district’s executive director of human resources. “This employee certainly does.”

Scarlett Williams, an intervention paraprofessional at James A. Long Elementary School, took home the school-based, support-related Employee of the Year award Friday, and will represent the county statewide.

Whitehurst described Williams as empathetic, genuine and someone who is concerned for her students.

“(She) is very upbeat and bubbly, exudes joy and compassion, and is always willing to go above and beyond at any given time,” Whitehurst added.

The Putnam County winners still have some time before the statewide Teacher of the Year and School-Related Employee of the Year finalists are revealed. The top candidates statewide will be announced in May for teachers and March for school-related employees, according to the Florida Department of Education.

“I am humbled to be honored by such an accomplished and supportive community of educators,” Kellner said. “I cannot wait to continue to learn through this opportunity, and bring this adventure back to my students in the classroom.”