Grayson County Schools’ teacher receives Region 7 Teacher of the Year

GRAYSON COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - Dawn Poe, a kindergarten teacher at Fairview Elementary School, is making history in Grayson County.

“She’s the best teacher,” kindergartener Harlee Rutherford said. “She is the Teacher of the Year.”

Poe was named 2023 Region 7 Teacher of the Year by the Virginia Department of Education August 30.

“The thing that keeps me going and keeps all of us going is that we’re passionate about what we do and teaching truly is a calling,” Poe said.

She has been in the classroom for 28 years. She’s had an impact on the lives of many students.

“It’s not about test scores,” she said. “It’s not about what a standardized test says or about making sure we teach all of the standards; that’s important, but what’s important is going into the lives of our kids and changing their lives.”

According to Grayson County Schools’ Superintendent Kelly Wilmore, this honor is a first.

“It’s a tremendous honor for not only Ms. Poe,” he said. “Our school division, we’ve never had this before so it’s really a great day for us, no question.”

With this recognition, she’ll now be eligible for state teacher of the year.

“You don’t do what you do for awards and for recognition, you do it because we love the kids and I know what my passion is and what I’ve been called to do, so to be recognized, for doing what you love, it’s really just an amazing thing,” Poe said.

For her students, like Rutherford, Poe is more than deserving.

“We do fun work,” she said. “We get time to play outside and I like how she treats us.”