Sylvan Hills High School

PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. -- Pulaski County Special School District (PCSSD) is participating in the annual Arkansas Department of Education’s (ADE) Teacher of the Year program. This is the fourth year the District has participated in this program. Through a rigorous selection process, each of PCSSD’s 26 schools as well as the Center of Innovation, selected one educator as their school teacher of the year. 

The District hosted an awards breakfast on Thursday, May 23 to recognize the school winners and announce the PCSSD Teacher of the Year. The 2023-2024 PCSSD Teacher of the Year is Jeanie Wilcoxon, fourth grade math teacher at Chenal Elementary. 

In her 24 years as an educator, Wilcoxon has worked with students and teachers in a variety of K-12 settings. Her educational background includes years as a classroom teacher, high school coach, tutor, and mentor teacher. She was influenced to pursue her career by her high school algebra teacher as she fell in love with mathematics. After several years of teaching, Wilcoxon said found her niche teaching 4th grade math.

“Mrs. Wilcoxon is an outstanding teacher,” said Dr. Matt Deneke, a PCSSD parent. “She ensures that her students understand her lessons, but keeps the pace rapid enough to keep children from becoming bored. I must assume that her methods are very effective, since my daughters have been able to learn and maintain the math skills covered in her class.”

Wilcoxon started working in PCSSD in August 2011, teaching her entire time at Chenal Elementary. This consistency helped her to get to know the students, staff and community in a way that allows her to make personal connections and share her love for teaching, especially math. Her enthusiasm for teaching is recognized not only by colleagues, but her supervisors as well.

“She has a natural ability to make complex mathematical concepts accessible and engaging to young learners, fostering a love for math that extends far beyond the classroom,” Yolanda Harris, principal of Chenal Elementary, said in her recommendation letter.  “One of Ms. Wilcoxon’s greatest strengths is her ability to differentiate instruction to meet the diverse needs of her students. Whether it's through hands-on activities, interactive games, or personalized learning plans, she ensures that every child has the opportunity to succeed and thrive in mathematics. Her classroom is a vibrant and inclusive learning environment where students feel valued, supported, and motivated to excel.”

Wilcoxon was selected out of 27 other PCSSD school-level winners and will now move on to represent the District in the 2025 Arkansas Teacher of the Year Program. Previous PCSSD teacher of the year winners were also present, Shannon Hum (20-21), Bokari Williams (21-22), and Ben Light (22-23). In addition to receiving a plaque, each school winner will receive a check for $100. The District winner will receive an additional check for $500.

PCSSD followed the Arkansas Department of Education Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Teacher of the Year guidelines, including the teacher’s impact on school culture, leadership in and out of the classroom, and student connections.

The winners for all schools can be found in the table below. Pictures of each winner can be found in this folder for media use.