Kim Bearden was selected from over 70,000 nominations to be honored as the Disney American Teacher Awards Outstanding Middle School Humanities Teacher. The Milken Family Foundation selected her as one of 155 teachers from across the nation to receive the Award for Excellence in Education, and she was chosen from among 7000 teachers as Teacher of the Year in Cobb County, Georgia. Ms. Bearden is a member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2008, and she received the Phoenix Award from Mayor Shirley Franklin for her dedication to education. Women Works Media Group named her one of Georgia’s Most Powerful and Influential Women.

Over the past twenty-eight years, she has been a teacher, instructional lead teacher, curriculum director, school board member, staff development trainer, and middle school principal. Her bestselling first book, Crash Course: The Life Lessons My Student Taught Me, was published in July of 2014.

Frederick Nolan is the only full-time Watch D.O.G.S. coordinator employed by a local school district. Frederick is leading a tremendous group of men providing positive male role models in the Jackson, MS Public School system. Frederick is joined by two local dads running one of the great programs in Jackson.