Brie-Lenn Abney - 2026 Elementary School Teacher of the Year

Fulton County Schools (FCS) has named Brie-Lenn Abney as its Elementary School Teacher of the Year (TOTY). Ms. Abney is a third-grade teacher at Birmingham Falls Elementary School (BFES). She has a master’s degree in education and will receive her P-12 specialist designation in May. She also holds certifications in STEM and Math, and plans to pursue her Ph.D.

Ms. Abney has been teaching for three years and is intentional about building strong foundations early in her career. She approaches each lesson with the goal of not just delivering content, but shaping thinkers, problem-solvers, and collaborators. Student-centered exploration, inquiry, and curiosity are at the core of Ms. Abney’s teaching values.

“In my classroom, learning works best when ideas are made accessible to all learners,” Abney said. “Questions are encouraged, and mistakes are how we learn. I attempt to foster critical thinking in my classroom rather than memorization steps and students’ written answers. I aim to create a learning environment where all children feel respected, motivated, engaged, and confident to bring their ideas forward and answer their own big questions about the world around them.”

Abney models a variety of strategies and opportunities to determine which education approach works best for her students. In a math unit on fractions, she distributes group bins that contain a range of materials aligned to the concept being explored. The bins have candy bar wrappers, grid paper, white paper, markers, pencils, fraction strips, fraction squares, and magnets.

Before modeling their thinking and comparing ideas with their groups, students select the tools that will best support their fractions reasoning. This strategy reflects Ms. Abney’s belief that learning is not one size fits all. By offering choices, she empowers students to take ownership of their learning and to see themselves as mathematicians and scientists.

BFES Principal Don Webb explains Ms. Abney’s ability to multitask. He said, “Ms. Abney started at BFES simultaneously teaching second and third grade. She excels in both. In her second year, enrollment numbers were down, and the school had to eliminate a second-grade teacher's position. This can be an unsettling event for a child. Ms. Abney transferred to the third-grade classroom with professionalism, grace, and calmness. Everyone benefitted from her peaceful and positive transition.”

Ms. Abney is a dedicated educator inside and outside the classroom. She attends all events at the school, and volunteers for weekend events offered by the district. She has participated in the district's Family Engagement Night, working on the STEAM Mobile Learning Bus, teaching AI, and helping others use microscopes to study cells.

As an advocate for education and the environment, Ms. Abney represented BFES at Paddle Georgia, an event of the Georgia Rivers group protecting and connecting people with Georgia rivers, where she kayaked across three states. Earning a Project WET certification at the event and as a certified Adopt-a-Stream citizen, she will have access to science-based water education resources for teaching.

Her classroom is not just a place where standards are taught; it is a community where learners develop confidence, resilience, and a lifelong love of discovery.