WEST COLUMBIA, SC – Lexington Two announced its Rookie Teachers of the Year during a celebration for first-year teachers and their school mentors.
Among the 50-plus Lexington Two induction teachers in the 2024-2025 school year, those recognized as Rookie Teachers of the Year are:
Early Childhood: Catherine Quarles, Riverbank Elementary School
Elementary: Maddison Yates, Cayce Elementary School
Middle: Timothy Dunlap, Fulmer Middle School
High: Skyler Allen, Airport High School
Quarles, a second-grade teacher, was also selected as District Rookie Teacher of the Year.
Dr. Angela Cooper, chief human resources and organizational development officer, whose department oversees the induction program, said this year’s group of teachers – many of whom have come from alternative certification pathways – has made a difference.
"This year’s induction class reminds us that the road to teaching is rarely a straight line, but every path that led you here was paved with purpose,” said Dr. Angela Cooper, chief human resources and organizational development officer, whose department oversees the induction teacher program. “Whether you arrived through traditional routes or through unique, winding roads, this first year has been a testament to your resilience, heart, and unwavering dedication to students. The future is brighter because of you."
Rookie Teachers of the Year are nominated by their principals based on their professionalism in the classroom and in meeting the needs of their Lexington Two students.
Lexington Two’s outgoing District Rookie Teacher of the Year, fourth-grade Cayce Elementary School teacher Brooke Hiatt, was selected as the state’s 2025 SC ASCD Induction Teacher of the Year.