It was a great day for one Rockmart Yellow Jacket educator who last night was not only honored for as the High School’s Teacher of the Year, but also bringing home honors as Polk School District’s Top Teacher for 2022 as well.

The district held their annual ceremony during their November regular session moved to the Polk County College and Career Academy in order to accommodate the larger-than-normal crowd to help celebrate all the Teachers of the Year from across all of the PSD campuses this fall.

Watch the full PSD Teach of the Year Ceremony Here

Rockmart High science teacher Kevin Bachtel was named the systemwide Teacher of the Year.

Along with teaching Chemistry and Physics at Rockmart High, he heads up the Boys Cross Country Team as well. He’s a graduate of Kennesaw State University, and along with being a Cross Country and Track athlete where he ran in three national championship races, Bachtel majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry. He taught McEachern High and was a substitute in Cobb County after a career at CryoLife in Kennesaw.

Bachtel and his wife Lori of 21 years have three kids, Aubrey, Maddie and William.

He was joined by principal Dr. Bo Adams for the honors on Tuesday night as both RHS Teacher of the Year and systemwide Teacher of the Year.

Slideshow: 2022 PSD Teachers of the Year

Other Teachers of the Year included Lissa Escutia at Cherokee Elementary School, Jason Wilder at Eastside Elementary, Jennifer Hovers at Northside Elementary, Van Wert Elementary’s Christy Sisneros, Westside’s Chuck Isbell, Young’s Grove Elementary teacher Jennifer Frady, Eric Cooper from Cedartown Middle, Rockmart Middle’s Heather Free, Cedartown High teacher Sonya Triplett, and College and Career Academy instructor Chuck Thaxton.