Zach Barrow is Bulloch County's Teacher of the Year

As the district’s top teacher of the year, Barrow will receive a $3,000 cash prize sponsored by Parker’s Fueling the Community Program, NFP Insurance Brokers, and the Bulloch County Foundation for Public Education. He and the other nominees will be further honored at a banquet in October, where the contest's runner-up and other top-four finalists will be revealed.

Barrow’s path to William James Middle School began when he was a Georgia Southern University student completing a practicum course and being paired with an educator at the school. After leading classroom instruction one day, he impressed the school's former principal, Dr. Scott Chapman, who was observing the classroom. Chapman believed so strongly in Barrow's skills as an educator that he partnered with school district and university leaders to develop an actionable plan to hire Barrow full-time as a sixth-grade teacher on a provisional certificate while he was still in college and have his classroom service count toward his student-teaching requirements. 

When Barrow's college graduation day finally arrived on December 13, 2022, he chose teaching over walking the stage, prompting faculty and students at William James to surprise him with a graduation ceremony in the school's cafeteria. Explaining his decision then, Barrow said, "I believe I've been classroom ready for 10 years even if my age didn't show it. I realized this is my life now. It's not at Georgia Southern. It's here at William James."

Barrow believes and has demonstrated that teaching is not simply a career choice. It is a lifelong calling. Zach grew up inside public school hallways; his parents are two career educators from Montgomery County Schools, Dr. Scott Barrow, an assistant superintendent and Melissa Barrow, a high school social studies teacher. His immersion in public education, from helping organize supplies as a young child to operating the school copier during pre-planning days, built a strong foundation early in life. While attending high school, he completed the Teaching as a Profession Pathway, learning the mechanics of instructional plans and classroom management long before stepping into a college lecture hall.

"I have spent my entire life in a schoolhouse, with both of my parents serving as public school educators long before I was born," Barrow shared in his application. "At six years old, I asked my mother who RESA (Regional Educational Service Agency) was, and why she had so many supplies. At ten, while most kids were enjoying their last days sleeping in, I was learning to use the staple function in the copier during pre-planning. At sixteen, I was lucky enough to experience having my mother as my economics teacher while my father served as my principal. Growing up immersed in public education shaped who I am."

Over his four years with Bulloch County Schools, Barrow has earned a reputation for combining rigorous academic expectations with genuine student engagement. In addition to his bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern, Barrow holds a master’s degree in Middle Grades Education from Albany State University and is currently completing a specialist degree in Teacher Leadership from Valdosta State University. He has served as a grade-level chairperson and a member of his school's leadership team since 2023. He is the school’s assistant athletic director and head coach for the school’s boys and girls golf team. 

Beyond his daily work in the classroom, Barrow is an advocate for the teaching profession, emphasizing the critical importance of educator mentorship, support, and retention. From high school through his early teaching career, Barrow has both experienced and benefited from strong teacher mentorship. 

"When veteran teachers invest in those just beginning their careers, they help transform passion into perseverance," Barrow shared in his Teacher of the Year application.  "We must also celebrate the purpose, joy, and impact that first called us to teaching. The next generation of educators is watching us."