Ernest William Lee, II, an International Baccalaureate History, U.S. Government and Civics teacher from Windsor Forest High in Savannah, has been named the 2016 Georgia Teacher of the Year. Mr. Lee was named the winner of the award at the annual Georgia Teacher of the Year banquet held at the James H. “Sloppy” Floyd Veterans Memorial Building in Atlanta.
As Georgia Teacher of the Year, Mr. Lee will serve as an advocate for public education in Georgia. Mr. Lee was a lawyer for over 20 years before becoming a teacher. He also worked as an instructor for the Georgia Departments of Revenue and Human Resources, and the Technical College System of Georgia, where he operated a mobile technology training lab, developed learning protocols and curriculum and trained newly hired manufacturing plant employees for new technology positions. Several events in his life led him to ask the question “What have you done to make a lasting and positive impact on the community and the lives of others?”
In 2008, he started as a full-time substitute teacher. After his time as a substitute, Lee began his educational career as a special education inclusion teacher then moved to teaching International Baccalaureate History, U.S. Government and Civics.