Clarke Central High School 2024-25 School Resource Officer Maurice Williams (center) receives an award from the Foundation For Excellence in Public Education on July 31 in the CCHS Media Center. Williams received the Downs Family District Services Award, which recognizes support staff such as custodians, bus drivers and school resource officers who demonstrate efforts to connect with their community. “A lot of people don’t recognize (support professionals) for what they do. This particular award actually does, and that’s one of my favorite things. This award really does look at that and tells those people, ‘Thank you,’ and rightly recognizes that you’re doing something more than what the average person does,” FFE Executive Director Catherine Neace said. Photo courtesy of the Foundation for Excellence in Public Education
The Foundation for Excellence in Public Education recognized Enya Granados and Maurice Williams for their contributions to CCHS on July 31.
Clarke Central High School science department teacher Enya Granados and 2024-25 School Resource Officer Maurice Williams received 2025 Foundation for Excellence Teaching and Staff awards from the Foundation for Excellence in Public Education (FFE) on July 31.
The FFE is a local nonprofit organization that honors Clarke County School District staff, faculty and students with annual awards and grants. These community-funded prizes range from $25 to $1,000, rewarding educational excellence across the district.
“We offer classroom grants, which is money that teachers can use to do classroom projects and activities with their students. So, any given year, we’re getting over $40,000 back to the Clarke County School District,” FFE Executive Director Catherine Neace said.
According to Neace, 14 teachers and support staff members were selected as 2025 winners from among 323 nominees, 70 of whom were from CCHS.
“When you think about these numbers, you have 323 nominations, but only 14 people win,” Neace said. “So, if 323 people got nominated, then these 14 are amazing, because they’re the ones that stood out.”
“I want to make sure that we recognize Officer Maurice Williams for his contributions, dedication, perseverance, loyalty, being a team player, and (his) foxhole mentality.”
— Dr. Swade Huff,
CCHS principal
Williams, who started working at CCHS during the 2024-25 school year, was honored with the annual Downs Family District Services Award. This $500 award recognizes any CCSD employees outside of teaching staff who make a pronounced effort to connect with the community, with Williams becoming the first SRO to receive the honor since it was first given in 2017.
“I want to make sure that we recognize Officer Maurice Williams for his contributions, dedication, perseverance, loyalty, being a team player, and (his) foxhole mentality,” CCHS Principal Dr. Swade Huff said. “I want him to understand how much he has meant to our school community. There were some days last year (where) he stepped in, diffused a lot of situations before they got out of hand, and just was a positive presence in our school.”
Clarke Central High School science department teacher Enya Granados walks to accept the Thomas H. Whitehead Chair for Teachers of Science from the Foundation for Excellence in Public Education in the CCHS Media Center on July 31. Granados started teaching at CCHS during the 2023-24 school year, and saw the award as a reflection of her efforts to create opportunities for her students. “It means a lot because doing things on the local community scale (is) important to me,” Granados said. “In my short time here I have been able to make some great connections to the community for the students that I am really proud of, whether that is field trips, community organizers, etc.” Photo courtesy of the Foundation For Excellence in Public Education
Granados received the Thomas H. Whitehead Chair for Teachers of Science, which is awarded biannually. It honors outstanding teaching in any branch of science at the elementary, middle, or high school level and includes a $1,000 prize this fall, along with an additional $1,000 for the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.
“I think it reflects my abilities of being a great educator,” Granados said. “Like many other educators I know, I am passionate and live and breathe education and want to do right by the students by giving them challenging, meaningful (and) authentic learning experiences.”
The FFE aims to motivate the faculty with these awards, who are nominated and selected as recipients through a process that begins each March, with both recognition and funding.
“I hope that those people who win can see that (they’re) doing something right, and this is exactly what (they’re) supposed to be doing, and that education is not broken,” Neace said. “The kids aren’t broken, the teachers aren’t broken, it’s working because you’re doing the right thing and you’re getting recognized for it.”
