MAGNOLIA MSD Communications
The five campuses in the Magnolia School District recently selected their 2020 Teachers of the Year.
The Teachers of the Year included Magnolia High School’s Kaye Minter, Magnolia Junior High’s Zach Boyd, Central Elementary’s Angela Watson, East Side Elementary’s Bailey Coburn and Walker Pre-Kindergarten Center’s Brandy Martin.
Magnolia High School science teacher, Kaye Minter, was selected as the campus’ Teacher of the Year. Minter is a soon-to-be-retired, 30-year veteran science teacher.
She graduated from Southern Arkansas University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and minors in math, and chemistry. She graduated with a pre-med emphasis with the intent to head to medical school.
Instead, she decided to get married and wait a few years for med school. When her husband, Bill Minter, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Louisiana Tech University, accepted a job in Arkadelphia, Minter began substitute teaching at Arkadelphia High where she found that she enjoyed working with teens and had a proclivity to teach – hardly surprising when you know that her parents, Dr. George and Mavis Henry, were both respected teachers.
She went back to school at Henderson State University to be certified to teach high school science and took more physics courses. She was quickly hired at Arkadelphia High School to teach biology, chemistry, and physics.
After several moves and several children (four daughters – Kelly Minter-Schneider, Emily Minter, Lara Perry, and Erin Minter), she chose to work for Magnolia School District and has been here for about 20 years teaching whatever science was needed.
When Magnolia became an Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science (AAIMS) school, she was recruited to work as the AP Lead Science Teacher and teach AP Biology.
Working closely with this program, she began to present Saturday Prep sessions for schools around the state and helped MHS receive special recognition from College Board for excellent AP Biology scores.
While working with AAIMS, she became a Laying the Foundation (LTF) trainer in biology and middle grades science.
Five years ago, Minter was accepted into the UALR STRIVE program and worked with four other Arkansas science teachers and Arkansas AIMS to develop rigorous curricula. The curricula utilized vetted materials to help Arkansas science teachers of grades 6-12 be able to meet the challenge of working with the new Arkansas Science Standards.
Through this program, this team of teachers developed online Arkansas AIMS Online Google Sites, which have helped teachers in Arkansas improve teaching and test scores.
Minter sees teaching as being a way to serve others and to positively impact students, families, and communities.
Introducing students to the wonder of science and the universe in which they live has been one of her major goals during her career. She feels that teaching allows a person to actually see first-hand the impact they have on others.
One of her favorite quotes came from Christa McAuliffe, American teacher and astronaut – “I touch the future. I teach.”
After retirement, Minter will be able to reach even more Arkansas youth by continuing as an Arkansas AIMS science consultant, but will truly miss her kids who have, over the years, blessed her by allowing her into their lives.
The faculty at MJHS recently selected social studies teacher Boyd as its 2020 Teacher of the Year. He graduated from Cabot High School in 2012 and received a Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies Education from Arkansas Tech University. Boyd recently graduated from Southern Arkansas University with a Master’s of Education in Educational Administration and Supervision. He has taught for four years at Magnolia Junior High School, and stated, “I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Our administration, faculty and staff, and our students are absolutely amazing!”
Boyd’s mom has taught for almost 39 years in the Cabot Public School District and his dad worked in the concrete industry for 53 years before retiring. His sister recently graduated from ASU Jonesboro, and is now a nurse in Little Rock.
Boyd enjoys hunting, fishing, going to the lake, and anything that deals with sports. Along with cheering on the mighty Cubs and Panthers, he is a big Razorback and Dallas Cowboys fan.
Watson was selected as the Central Elementary School Teacher of the Year. She graduated from Southern Arkansas University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1996.
That fall, she began her first teaching job as a pre-kindergarten teacher in Homer, Louisiana.
In 2001, she received her Master’s degree in elementary education specializing in reading. Before she began teaching at Central Elementary, she also taught kindergarten and second grade. In the fall of 2000, Watson was hired by the Magnolia School District as a fourth grade teacher at Central Elementary School.
After two years, she began teaching fifth grade literacy, where she has been teaching for the past eighteen years. She says that out of all the grades she has ever taught, fifth grade is by far her favorite.
She is married to Ronnie Watson and has two children. Their son, Keith, just finished his freshman year at Louisiana Tech in Ruston. Kate, their daughter, just finished her freshman year at MJHS. The Watson’s are members at Calvary Baptist Church in Magnolia.
She states that she always knew she wanted to be a teacher. As a child, she attended Magnolia Public Schools. She says that her former teachers made such a positive impact on her as a child; she knew that she too wanted to do the same for others. For the past twenty-four years, she has been trying to do just that.
Faculty members at East Side Elementary School selected music teacher, Bailey Coburn, as its 2020 Teacher of the Year.
Coburn is a graduate of Ashdown High School and Henderson State University. She began her career in Magnolia when she did her student teaching in the fall of 2014. She assisted with the band program and with East Side’s music program.
After earning her Bachelors of Music in Education, Coburn taught in the El Dorado and Spring Hill school districts.
However, she was always drawn back to Magnolia, working as the high school receptionist and finally returning to East Side as the elementary music teacher. At East Side, Bailey teaches approximately 600 students per week. She incorporates
music from many cultures and time periods.
She leads five music programs each year, including last year’s first-ever East Side Veterans Day program. She also includes self-regulation exercises in music class and began a weekly yoga program for students with behavioral and/or sensory issues.
Coburn is married to Russell Coburn, a former Magnolia band director. They have one son, Henry, who will be three in June. They also have their rescue dog, Molly. Coburn’s hobbies include playing piano and ukulele, learning new technology, and taking naps.
She loves to uplift her coworkers and come up with innovative ideas for the classroom. She can often be found with a to-do list in one hand and a Dr. Pepper in the other. Coburn is also an advocate for mental health and pushes her students to always do their best.
Martin was voted as the 2020 Walker Pre-Kindergarten Center Teacher of the Year.
She is from Clovis, New Mexico where she graduated from Clovis High School. She attended Southern Arkansas University where she graduated with a BSE in Elementary Education, an MEd in Educational Leadership, and an MEd in Special Education.
Martin loves learning and strives to instill the same love in all of her students. Her teaching experience includes seventh grade math, elementary special education, preschool, and working as a Developmental Therapist serving children with disabilities from age’s birth to three years old.
She has worked for Magnolia Public Schools for six years.
Currently, Martin serves as a classroom teacher at Walker Pre-K where she teaches children from age’s three to five, and also serves as a bus driver for the district. Brandy oversees the campus website and currently serves on the recently established Re-Entry Task Force.
Martin is also a veteran of the U.S. Army. She is married to Gary Martin and they have four children.
Outside of work, she loves spending time with her grandchildren, family, and close friends. She is a member of New Zion Missionary Baptist Church and enjoys traveling, reading, and crafting.
