The new Teacher of the Year for Griffin-Spalding County Schools is Lisa Miller. Superintendent Curtis Jones announced the winner at Tuesday’s Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education meeting.

Miller, a kindergarten teacher at Moreland Road Elementary School, prevailed over the other two finalists, Valeria Gladney from Griffin High School and Rhonda Shields from Cowan Road Middle School.

“When they showed my photo, I was honored. It was a great feeling,” said Miller in a later interview. “I didn’t see it coming. It could have been either one of us.”

Miller said many fellow teachers at Moreland Road came by the following day to congratulate her.

“I’m just overwhelmed with the excitement from them. I think everybody is happy,” she said.

In other business, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Denise Burrell informed the board about common assessments this school year. Students in grades three, five, eight and 11 took these assessments in reading and math Wednesday and will take the second part today.

Students in grades three, five and eight will be assessed again in December and mid-March, while 11th-graders will be tested only one more time at the beginning of February.

Common assessments look at students’ knowledge against standards that have been taught. Based on the outcome, teachers can determine which students might be struggling with state assessments and offer further instruction for the standards students haven’t mastered.

Common assessments is an initiative by the school system and part of the System Improvement Plan and the Strategic Plan.

“We are excited about what the data will allow us to do,” said Burrell.