Chesterfield County Teacher of the Year
Middle School Teacher of the Year

Brian McGill, who teaches English at Tomahawk Creek Middle School, is the 2024 Chesterfield County Teacher of the Year. He has taught in Chesterfield County Public Schools since 2008, first at Carver Middle and since 2020 at Tomahawk Creek Middle. Previously, he taught in schools in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.

Tomahawk Creek Middle Principal Rebecca Thompson said, “Brian has been an amazing addition to our Tomahawk Creek English department. I am truly in awe of his ability to connect with his students and his uncanny ability to ignite the passion for reading into his students. Not only does he encourage students to stretch themselves academically, he also gives students the tools to be independent thinkers and researchers.”

Asked about his impact on students, McGill wrote, “I ensure education transcends the classroom by taking the lessons we have learned through literature, both fiction and nonfiction, and apply it to real life situations. One may think that applying it to ‘real life situations’ means societal issues, and that is true, but first I make the students apply it to themselves. Why? Because we cannot control society, we can contribute to it on an individual level, so I start with the individual.”

McGill earned his bachelor’s degree from Moravian College and master’s degree from Villanova University.

Elementary School Teacher of the Year

J.P. Gates, PE teacher at Greenfield Elementary, is the Elementary School Teacher of the Year. He has taught in Chesterfield County Public Schools since 2007, first at Watkins Elementary and since 2015 at Greenfield Elementary.

He grew up in Chesterfield County and attended Chalkley Elementary, Jacobs Road Elementary, Manchester Middle and Manchester High, then earning his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Greenfield Elementary Principal Jenny Andrews said this about the difference Gates makes: “Mr. Gates has dedicated his teaching career to the total well being of students. He cares about students’ physical, mental, and emotional wellness and strives each day to ensure these needs are met. Mr. Gates’ official position here at Greenfield is physical education teacher, but a better name for his position might be that of life coach. He makes it his mission to teach students skills that they will carry into their lifetime. … The students and our community would all agree — there is no other teacher like Mr. Gates.”

High School Teacher of the Year

Kathryn “Katy” Clarke, program coordinator for the Governor’s Academy for Engineering Studies and technology education teacher at Bird High, is the High School Teacher of the Year for Chesterfield County Public Schools. She began her career at Bird High in 2009, left for five years to teach at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, then returned in 2021 to Bird High.

Clarke grew up in Chesterfield County and attended Ecoff Elementary, Salem Church Middle and Bird High. Fun fact: Adrienne Blanton, now principal at Bird High, was her math teacher and cheerleading coach at Salem Church Middle. Clarke earned her bachelor’s degree from Longwood University.

Bird High science teacher Patricia Raybould, who taught Clarke when she was a high school student and is now a colleague, said this: “For as long as I have known Katy, she has been passionate about education and working with young people. Even as a high school student, Katy took on leadership positions. … As Director of the Governor’s Academy, she has fostered a similar environment within the faculty that teaches the engineering students. However, her passion for the student experience doesn’t stop with the students in our program. Katy has volunteered as a member of the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) committee to help ALL students at Bird have a positive experience in our building and learn the skills they will need as adults. … Katy has the ability to find joy in almost every situation.”