Cobb County Teacher of the Year: Dr. Richard Kaht and Marietta City Schools Teacher of the Year: David DuBose
Cobb County Teacher of the Year: Dr. Richard Kaht
The Cobb County School District named Dr. Richard Kaht, a science teacher at Dickerson Middle School, as the 2012-2013 District Teacher of the Year. Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa surprised Kaht with the honor during a special assembly earlier this year, and Kaht will go on to represent Cobb in the statewide Teacher of the Year contest. Kaht immortalized his handprint on the Teacher Walk of Fame in Marietta’s Glover Park at the Give Our Schools a Hand (GOSH) Handprint Unveiling Ceremony on Oct. 3.
During the 2011-2012 school year, Kaht started Dickerson’s FTC Robotics Club as a fun, extracurricular extension of the science concepts covered during class time. Since joining Dickerson, Kaht has participated in the DMS Leadership Team, helped implement the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and collaborated with other science teachers to improve instruction throughout Cobb County public schools.
Inspired to teach from a young age, Kaht’s first years as an educator were spent working with students in a drug rehabilitation and education center. He entered public schools in
1995, teaching Georgia history at a DeKalb County middle school. Kaht joined the Cobb County Public School District in 1997, teaching history and science at Campbell Middle School before moving to Dickerson in 1999.
Marietta City Schools Teacher of the Year: David DuBose
David DuBose, this year’s Marietta City Schools Teacher of the Year, is a 19-year veteran educator and band director at Marietta High School. DuBose joined Marietta High in 2006 as an AP and IB music teacher and band director. “He’s the maestro and can be called masterful,” says Marietta Superintendent Emily Lembeck.
DuBose was born in Birmingham, Ala., and set his goals on becoming a teacher after leading a Sunday school class in the seventh grade. He served as drum major at his high school for two years and then for three years at Auburn University. His career began at Pleasant Grove High School, in the Birmingham area, where he taught for eight years.
Under his leadership, the MHS band program has erupted from 43 students in 2006 to nearly 300 in 2012. At MHS, he has also served as department chair, director of bands, a member of the School Governance Team, SACS committee and the auditorium committee.
