August 12, 2025—Pope High School’s gymnasium thundered with excitement. The bleachers, packed with spirited students, roared as Greyhound cheerleaders pumped up the crowd. 

Instead of a championship team, the pep rally honored one person—the Cobb County School District Teacher of the Year. 

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale surprised the Greyhound students and staff with the Tuesday morning announcement that Pope High School teacher Amanda Dillard would be Cobb’s top teacher for 2025. 

“It was a huge surprise to be named the District Teacher of the Year for Cobb County. I feel really honored and just really blessed overall for being recognized that way,” Ms. Dillard exclaimed! 

This was the second time Superintendent Ragsdale had surprised Ms. Dillard in recent weeks, although the last time did not include bleachers pounding with the cheers of 1,000+ students and staff. Before being crowned the #1 teacher, the Pope special education teacher earned the crown of Cobb County School District High School Level Teacher of the Year. 

“My goal is to help my students be successful, not just here at Pope, but when they graduate and later on in life as well,” Ms. Dillard added. 

As Cobb’s new Teacher of the Year took her place in the spotlight, one student stood by, thinking of how Ms. Dillard had impacted his life. The 10th grader credits Ms. Dillard with helping him succeed and avoid being left behind. Over the course of a couple of months, she helped Benjamin turn around his grades last year. Her stubborn persistence refused to let him give up and instead helped him overcome the obstacles he was facing. 

“The times that I wasn't feeling like I could do it, or if my brain just wasn't clicking on whatever it was, she wouldn't stop saying, ‘I can do this. You got this. I can help you,’” Benjamin recalled. 

Ms. Dillard is the students’ biggest cheerleader. Her positive energy spreads through the Pope hallways as she greets students, who cannot help but raise their heads and smile when they see her. 

“You walk by her, and you can feel the energy,” Benjamin added, declaring that his beloved teacher never looks like she’s had a bad day. “When you walk by her, there's just energy that grabs people's attention. She's really nice. She's always positive.” 

The Pope Special Education teacher is happy to know that students like Benjamin view her as someone they can lean on and come to when they mess up or need support. 

“I want to be the person they can come to for help,” Ms. Dillard declared. 

Senior Faye is another student quick to praise Cobb’s Teacher of the Year. 

"It has been an amazing last three years knowing her,” Faye shared, expressing gratitude for all Ms. Dillard has done to help her. "Thank you for being there for me,” Faye added. 

“…a joy to see.” That’s how Pope senior Landon would describe his former teacher and E-Sports coach. 

When Landon imagines a good person, Ms. Dillard pops into his mind. And that’s exactly why he thinks she is a perfect fit for Cobb’s Teacher of the Year. 

She puts a smile on everyone’s face. Ms. Dillard is more than a coach or a teacher; she’s a mentor. 

“She always manages to find a way to make us want to do our best,” Landon explained. 

Thanks to the Georgia’s BEST program, Ms. Dillard will be able to impact more students like Benjamin, Faye, and Landon. 

“Being a Georgia's Best teacher and being in the Georgia's Best program is a huge, huge opportunity for Cobb educators. Teachers can turn around and invest in their students. It's not something I could have done on my own,” explained Cobb’s teacher, who will graduate as a Georgia’s BEST educator in summer 2026. 

The Pope pep rally is not the only fanfare Ms. Dillard will experience this year as Cobb’s District Teacher of the Year. The community will honor Ms. Dillard in the fall during a special ceremony on Marietta Square, where her handprints will be cemented on the Walk of Fame, as part of the Cobb Chamber’s Give Our Schools a Hand celebration. Her students will also join her for a memorable pep rally that honors Teachers of the Year across Cobb. 

“Seeing Ms. Dillard with her students today reminds me why Cobb’s families love our schools. Our teachers really, actually care about our students, and, especially on days like today, it shows,” said Cobb Schools Board Chair David Chastain.