Photo by Erin Nelson.
Pam McClendon works with Ryan Walker, a senior at Homewood High School, during McClendon’s APCSA Java class at the Riverchase Career Connection Center on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. McClendon was named the Secondary Teacher of the Year for Hoover City Schools in December and on May 11 was named a "Sweet 16" finalist for 2021-22 Alabama Teacher of the Year.
Pam McClendon, the lead teacher for the Cyber Innovation Academy at the Riverchase Career Connection Center, has been named among the “Sweet 16” finalists for Alabama 2021-22 Teacher of the Year.
The Alabama Department of Education announced the finalists on May 11. They were chosen from among 138 educators from across the state who submitted applications.
McClendon, who is Hoover’s Secondary Teacher of the Year this year, was the secondary teacher finalist chosen from Alabama Board of Education District 3. The elementary finalist from District 3 is Allison Phelps from Shades Cahaba Elementary School in Homewood.
McClendon came into education as a second career. She spent time as a U.S. Marine and about 10 years putting her business degree to work before realizing she needed to be in education.
She went back to school and got a master’s degree in education in 2002 and is now in her 19th year as a teacher. She spent four years at Bottenfield Middle School (now Minor Middle School), seven years at Hueytown High School, seven years at Oak Grove High School and one year at Minor High School before being recruited to the Cyber Innovation Academy at RC3 when it started in the fall of 2019.
When the lead teacher of the academy had to leave, McClendon stepped into that role in January 2020 and now teaches introduction to computer science, Advanced Placement computer science and a Java computer programming course.
McClendon established the computer science programs at Oak Grove and Minor high schools and helped develop Jefferson County’s career prep curriculum. She is on Gov. Kay Ivey’s Computer Science Advisory Council and is a trainer for the A+ College Ready Advanced Placement computer science program.
She was named the 2020 Computer Science Teacher of the Year by the National Center for Women & Information Technology and was a 2015 finalist for Jefferson County Teacher of the year.
McClendon said she was inspired to teach by her 10th and 11th grade English teacher, who saw abilities in her that no one else saw, encouraged her and changed the way she saw herself.
Now, she loves working with students and helping them see their worth, power, strength and abilities, she said.
“We may have something different to offer, but we all have something to offer,” McClendon said. “Every student can be successful. It may take a different path. Some go to college. Some go straight into the workforce.”
But she wants all of them to know they can be successful, she said.
McClendon lives in McCalla with her husband, Isiah. They have two sons: Darius, an environmental scientist in Dayton, Ohio, and Matthew, a junior at Shelton State Community College.
Here is the complete list of the 16 finalists for 2021-22 Alabama Teacher of the Year:
District 1:
- Elementary — Julie Matranga Neidhardt, Hutchens Elementary (Mobile County)
- Secondary — Krista Marcum, Gulf Shores High School
District 2:
- Elementary — Sherlita Gilchrist, Phenix City Virtual Learning Academy
- Secondary — Kimberly Johnson, Auburn Junior High
District 3:
- Elementary — Allison Phelps, Shades Cahaba Elementary (Homewood)
- Secondary — Pam McClendon, Riverchase Career Connection Center (Hoover)
District 4:
- Elementary — Sabrina Wright, Sun Valley Elementary (Birmingham)
- Secondary — Leah Hughes, Hillcrest High (Tuscaloosa County)
District 5:
- Elementary — Catherine Jackson, Banks School (Pike County)
- Secondary — Lilian Zekeri, Tuskegee Institute Middle (Macon County)
District 6:
- Elementary — Megan Kreitlein, Eden Elementary (Pell City)
- Secondary — Mashell When, Arab High
District 7:
- Elementary — Rachel Graves, Weeden Elementary (Florence)
- Secondary —Jeff Schrupp, Hewitt-Trussville High (Trussville)
District 8:
- Elementary — Candilyn Renee Holt, Elkmont School District (Limestone County)
- Secondary— Kierstan Bell, Hampton Cove Middle (Huntsville)
The 16 finalists soon will be narrowed down to the “final four," and the 2021-22 Alabama Teacher of the Year will be announced in August, the Alabama Department of Education said.
