Three teachers with Hoover connections among 'Sweet 16' finalists for 2016-17 Alabama Teacher of the Year

Two Hoover teachers have been selected as “Sweet 16” finalists to become the 2016-17 Alabama Teacher of the Year, as well as a Mountain Brook teacher who lives in Hoover.

Kathryne Flippo, a kindergarten teacher at Bluff Park Elementary School, and Vinny Chiaramonte, a computer science teacher at Bumpus Middle School, are the elementary and secondary representatives for Alabama Board of Education District 3, the state Department of Education announced.

Sandy Ritchey, a former assistant principal at Gwin Elementary School who lives in the Quail Run subdivision in Hoover and is now a literacy coach at Crestline Elementary in Mountain Brook, also is a finalist.

They are among eight elementary and eight secondary teachers chosen as the “Sweet 16” finalists from among more than 140 educators nominated across the state.

The pool soon will be narrowed down to four teachers, and the 2016-17 Alabama Teacher of the Year is scheduled to be announced May 11 at the RSA Plaza Terrace in Montgomery.

Read more about Flippo and Chiaramonte here and more about Ritchey here.

The other elementary teacher finalists are:

• Kelly Cleere, Orange Beach Elementary, Baldwin County Schools
• Dawn Davis, Montana Street Magnet, Dothan City Schools
• Mikki Powell, Rock Quarry Elementary, Tuscaloosa City Schools
• Dawn Judy Ellis, Peter Crump Elementary, Montgomery County Schools
• Connie Bowman, Iola Roberts Elementary, Pell City Schools
• Nancy Spencer Brandon, Rainbow Elementary, Madison City Schools

The other secondary teacher finalists are:

• Judy Peacock Bridges, Baldwin County High, Baldwin County Schools
• Kathryn Johnson Enos, Enterprise High, Enterprise City Schools
• Joseph Smith III, John Herbert Phillips Academy, Birmingham City Schools
• John Conway, Booker T. Washington Magnet High, Montgomery County Schools
• Kate White, Guntersville High, Guntersville City Schools
• Dana Jacobson, Clay-Chalkville High, Jefferson County Schools
• Carol Bohatch, James Clements High, Madison City School

Sherrill Parris, the senior deputy state superintendent of education, said in a news release that the educators nominated for this prestigious award nurture the character, intellect and talent of Alabama's students and are committed to helping their students achieve success in the classroom and beyond.

"They exemplify teaching at its best, and we are proud to have them teaching in our state," Parris said.

Once selected, Alabama's Teacher of the Year spends the majority of the following school year serving as a full-time ambassador for education and the teaching profession, as well as presenting workshops to various groups. The state winner also automatically becomes a candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award.

Trace Crossings Elementary School teacher Minnette Wiggins a year ago was named Alabama's 2015-16 Elementary Teacher of the Year. Read more about that and see a video of her acceptance speech here.