FOLEY – The Foley City Council recognized the two educators selected as Teacher of the Year for Baldwin County who both serve Foley schools.

The council voted Monday, May 15 to commend Amy Barker and  Ursula Thompson after the Baldwin County Board of Education named the two as Teacher of the Year for 2023.

Barker, an educator at Foley Elementary School, was named Elementary Teacher of the Year. 

Barker was the ARI reading specialist from kindergarten through third grade and has been a grade-level chair, mentor teacher, math PLC chair, “Leader in Me” Lighthouse Team member, Adult Learning Action Team chair and STEAM PLC member.

Thompson, who teaches at Foley High School, is the Secondary Teacher of the Year. Thompson has been teaching at Foley High School since 2017 and taught for 21 years at Escambia High School and Tate High School in Florida before that. 

In presenting the proclamations, Mayor Ralph Hellmich said Foley is fortunate to have many outstanding teachers who care for their students.

“You have to have the utmost patience,” Hellmich said. “You have to love your students and that is what really brings people like this to the forefront, because they love their students and it’s really the only way you can excel. You don’t have to be organized. You don’t have to be the person who remembers everything, but if your students love, they will achieve and I have learned that from a lot of places.”