Suzanne Culbreth, a geometry teacher from Spain Park High School, was named Alabama Teacher of the Year May 9.

Culbreth, now our state’s candidate for National Teacher of the Year, is a sterling example of our county’s excellence in education.

However, when you look at the list of the final four candidates for the state honor, the strength of our county’s educational foundation becomes even more evident.

Culbreth was the Hoover School System’s nominee for the secondary category, while fellow final four candidate Mandy Fox, a gifted education teacher at Greystone Elementary School, was the system’s nominee for the elementary category.

Having two teachers from the same system make the list of 16 finalists is an honor; having those two teachers make the final four nominees is an amazing feat and a testament to the work being done in Hoover City Schools.

Shelby County is well-known for its excellence in education, and having this kind of light shine on local educators simply highlights one of our county’s best traits.

When local education is at its best, everything else benefits. Home and property values increase, more families look to move into the area and established businesses and churches grow while new ones sprout.

We thank and applaud Culbreth and Fox for their hard work and dedication to leading Hoover’s young minds. Because of teachers like them, Hoover — and Shelby County — stands as an educational leader not just in the state, but in the country.

As the state Teacher of the Year, Culbreth will spend the majority of the school year serving as the spokesperson for education and the teaching profession, as well as presenting workshops.

We can’t think of anyone better for other teachers to learn from. We wish Culbreth the best of luck this year, and look forward to seeing who the Hoover and Shelby County systems will nominate for next year’s Teacher of the Year contest. If recent trends are any indication, those teachers will be tough to beat.

The We Say is the opinion of the Shelby County Reporter editorial board.