Tuesday was a good evening to be an English/language arts instructor.
Martell Huntley, who’s winding down his third year teaching the subject to sophomores at Pine Bluff High School, was named the Pine Bluff School District’s Mary Frances Perkins Teacher of the Year at a banquet inside the Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative. Huntley received $1,000 as well and is eligible to apply for Arkansas Teacher of the Year.
The St. Louis native was met with hugs from many supporters, including his principal, Ronald Laurent, after a countdown video revealed his selection as the winner.
“I’m just grateful, grateful and humbled,” Huntley said. “We had a lot of candidates who were well deserving of the award, and I’m just thankful. Anyone of us could be chosen, and I’m very thankful for it.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Huntley has spent his entire teaching career at PBHS, which is temporarily operating at the Jack Robey campus with a new facility under construction. Not along ago, he was putting his criminal justice degree from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to work.
“Changes are always good,” he said. “A lot of the changes that are going on at Pine Bluff High School, we’re trying to grow this school and make each student the best version of themselves. So, I look forward to the changes we are implementing at the high school, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.”
Laurent said his star teacher is direct but also compassionate.
“He gets the best out of his students simply because he gets the best out of himself,” Laurent said. “As a result, our scores have gone up, our children look forward to seeing him, and when they walk into his room, they’re going to learn.”
Just as much excitement, if not more, surrounded the announcement of the inaugural Joe Barry Carroll Awards, created by the namesake Pine Bluff native and retired NBA professional as a way to express his gratitude to teachers in his life. Carroll attended Indiana Street School and Southeast Junior High School before moving to Denver, where he finished high school, and then starring at Purdue University.
Patricia Burnett of James Matthews Elementary School, Shiwanda Perry of Pine Bluff Junior High School and Crystal Barnes of Pine Bluff High School each won the award and a $5,000 check, presented by Carroll’s sister Mary. A nine-person committee separate from the 13-person Perkins award body considered these winners, each one representing elementary, junior high or high school, with Joe Barry Carroll’s family foundation making the final selections.
“I guess everybody else gets to see the passion that I have for my kids,” said Perry, an eighth-grade English/language arts instructor. “Honestly (that passion) comes from Jesus. I got into education because the Lord called me to it. He gave me a heart for the kids, and He just keeps me going. That passion, I stay on fire because I’m walking with the Lord, doing what He called me to do.”
The other finalists were Carmen Bell of Matthews and Phylicia Dyer of Broadmoor Elementary, Yulanda Lassiter and Danyell Hughes of PBJHS, and Cheryl Scott and Tykesha Cross of PBHS.
The Perkins award is named after a longtime Southeast Junior High English teacher who had been in the profession for 52 years until her passing in 2008. It has been presented every year since 2011.
Finalists for the Perkins award included Jasmine Thompson of Forrest Park/Greenville Pre-K, Evette Johnson of PBJHS, Carol Gardner of 34th Avenue Elementary, Benjamin Davis of Southwood Elementary, Kandace Sanders of Broadmoor and Burnett of Matthews.
Mrs. Pine Bluff Tamara P. Glover delivered the keynote address.
