September SuperStar Teacher: Celebrating Angie Maples at Career Academies of Decatur
Ms. Angie Maples, an English Language Arts (ELA) teacher at the Career Academies of Decatur (CAD), is the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce's SuperStar Teacher for September. Jamie Reeves, Chairwoman of the Chamber's One Vision Foundation Board, along with Chamber staff, surprised Ms. Maples with a $150 gift card for her classroom, a $50 gift card for personal use and a $1,000 grant awarded to Career Academies of Decatur from the Chamber’s One Vision Foundation. CAD is the first school to receive the grant since the initiative was announced last month.
With 24 years of experience in Decatur City Schools, Ms. Maples transitioned to CAD during its first year as the district’s third high school. In her nomination, CAD Principal Ressa Chittam praised Ms. Maples for quickly making an impact.
"Throughout the summer, she has worked on instructional methods for English Language Arts (ELA). In addition, she is leading our Teacher Academy program and has created innovative and engaging curriculum for her students. Mrs. Maples has also taken on the challenge of chairing the first graduation for CAD High School and sponsoring the Senior class. Mrs. Maples is the first to volunteer and ask what needs to be done. She has been a wonderful mentor and leader for our new teachers and has been a huge factor in creating the wonderful culture and climate we have at CAD. We are blessed to have her as part of our faculty," wrote Chittam.
The SuperStar Teacher program, launched in January, celebrates educators who make a significant impact on their students and communities. In August, the Chamber announced that for the 2024-2025 school year, the One Vision Foundation will award a $1,000 grant to the school of each SuperStar Teacher of the Month. This initiative is part of the Chamber's ongoing commitment to recognizing and supporting outstanding educators and our partner school systems in Decatur, Morgan County and Hartselle.
"These $1,000 grants are our way of giving back to the schools that are home to some of the best educators in our community," said Jamie Reeves. "Equipping their schools with additional resources is an investment in our community’s future as well.”
The One Vision Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, funds these grants through the generous support of our Chamber members. Members can contribute through their invoices or a tax-deductible donation can be made by visiting our website, www.dcc.org.
Thank you to our presenting sponsor Hubbard & Drake General - Mechanical Contractors, Inc. and our September sponsor State Farm Insurance - Wil Rose.