The nominations have been submitted and the selection process has begun for Vicksburg Warren School District Teacher of the Year.

Staffs at every school in Warren County have nominated a teacher for the award, which will be announced in mid-January by the superintendent’s office. It’s the district’s turn to sift through the nominations to determine a winner to continue to the state competition in January.

That process begins next week when a panel of district staff members and parts of the general public will choose the VWSD’s Teacher of the Year.

“There’s usually a panel involving district staff members and community people to serve on that committee and ask them questions that are asked of the teachers regarding their philosophy of education, what they feel their strength is in education and what their contribution is,” VWSD assistant superintendent Michael Winters said.

“Then that committee will look at all the applicants and make a determination as to who would best represent the district on the state level for Teacher of the Year.”

The lucky teacher, who will be selected through a combination of perceived passion for the job and classroom results, will then be submitted to the state competition.

“First of all, we look for a teacher who has a love for the profession and a love for the students. They have to have a love for the profession and a love for the students, and they’re passionate about what they do,” Winters said. “Secondly, we look at the results a teacher has accomplished over the school year. Not just in terms of test scores, but their overall contribution to their school and the school district.”

In addition to Teacher of the Year, the Vicksburg Warren School District is also in the process of choosing Administrator of the Year, also to be chosen by the public for the first time. To vote for an administrator go to http://www.vwsd.k12.ms.us. The deadline to vote is Dec. 19.