Ramey is Whiteville Teacher of the Year

By FULLER ROYAL

Kathon Ramey’s selection as the 2006-07 Whiteville City Schools teacher of the Year is timely – this is her last year in the classroom. The 29-year veteran will retire next spring at the same time as husband, Kyle Ramey, the principal of Whiteville High School.
“To be selected as the Whiteville City Schools Teacher of the Year is a proud moment for me,” Ramey said Wednesday. “To be honored for something that I truly love doing everyday is very rewarding.”

Earlier this year, she was chosen as the teacher of the year for Whiteville Primary School where she teaches second grade.

“All of the teachers at Whiteville Primary are outstanding and could have been chosen teacher of the year,” she said.

A graduate of Whiteville High School, Ramey earned her bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University and her masters of education degree from the University of South Carolina.

In the 1970s, she taught in Manassas Park, Va. From 1979 until 1992, she taught at various grade levels at Edgewood Elementary School.

She has worked with second-graders at Whiteville Primary since 1992.

Ramey said her decision to become a teacher was based on positive experiences throughout her early years of school.

“My teachers were so caring, patient and nurturing,” she said. “They instilled a love of learning that has carried over into my adult life and my teaching career.”

Ramey said it takes dedication, enthusiasm and a positive attitude to be a good teacher.

“Good teachers challenge and encourage while nurturing and loving children,” she said. “They are responsible for producing a positive learning experience for all students through success.

“My greatest joy is working with children each day,” she said. “I feel successful when they feel self-worth and become empowered learners. It makes me proud to look into the faces of my students as they experience success and a sense of accomplishment. I love every aspect of my job that involves interaction with my students.”

Ramey said she doesn’t care for the “baggage that every teacher carries, such as too much testing, paperwork and meetings.”

She cited No Child Left Behind as a major mistake in education.

“Unrealistic expectations, based on test scores of subgroups, are causing major problems within our schools,” she said. “Lack of funding for remedial programs places limitations on teachers and administrators. Too much testing puts a great amount of stress on our students and their teachers.”

Ramey spends much of her time helping new teachers at Whiteville Primary and serves as the coordinator for interns from Southeastern Community College, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

“Education gets it right when parents, community and schools come together to accept the responsibility of raising and educating our children who are the future leaders of our country.”

Ramey recently received the J.B. Hickman Outstanding Educator’s Award from the Whiteville Optimist Club. She was a Disney Teacher nominee and is a National Board Certified teacher.

Ramey’s daughter Katie Cherry, of Greenville, recently gave birth to Ramey’s first granddaughter, Taylor Ann. She also has one stepson, Beau Ramey, and one stepdaughter, Jennifer Ricks.