Mobile County Golden Apple Winners: Four MCPSS Teachers Surprised in Their Classrooms

MOBILE, Ala. — Four Mobile County Public Schools teachers, from a kindergarten classroom to an International Baccalaureate course, have been surprised in their classrooms with Golden Apple Awards, a community honor for educators who make a difference in the lives of their students.

The Mobile County Golden Apple winners are Racheal Battles of Mobile County Training School, Kristal Bush of Holloway Elementary School, Schelissia Toomey of Scarborough Model Middle School and Mitchell Pouliot of Davidson High School. The school system said the four were chosen because of the dedication and compassion they bring to their classrooms.

The 2026 honorees at a glance

• Racheal Battles, Mobile County Training School — segment airs Tuesday, Oct. 20
• Kristal Bush, kindergarten, Holloway Elementary School — segment airs Tuesday, Oct. 27
• Schelissia Toomey, math, Scarborough Model Middle School — segment airs Tuesday, Nov. 3
• Mitchell Pouliot, International Baccalaureate courses, Davidson High School — segment airs Tuesday, Nov. 10

Golden Apple representatives and a group of the program’s sponsors visited each school to surprise the teachers in front of their students. Stories about each winner air on Tuesday nights, one teacher per week, beginning Oct. 20.

Racheal Battles: Knowing every learner

At Mobile County Training School, Battles was recognized for the way she supports students both inside and outside the classroom. Her nomination focused on the time she spends learning who her students are and how each of them learns best.

“She takes time to get to know her students and their learning styles so she can fulfill their academic needs,” one nominator wrote.

Mobile County Training School, in the Plateau community north of downtown Mobile, is one of the oldest public schools in the county and has deep roots in Africatown and the surrounding neighborhoods. Generations of families have passed through its halls, and community ties remain a defining part of the school’s identity.

Kristal Bush: A kindergarten teacher who goes above and beyond

Bush teaches kindergarten at Holloway Elementary, where her nomination described an exemplary educator who supports not only her students but also her fellow teachers.

According to her nomination, Bush “celebrates her students’ achievements, supports them through challenges, builds meaningful relationships with families, and leaves a lasting impact on the children she teaches.”

Kindergarten is often a child’s first experience with full-day school, and the year sets the tone for everything that follows. Teachers at that level introduce reading readiness, early math, classroom routines and the social skills children need to get along in a group. Strong relationships with families are especially important in those early grades, when parents are learning to navigate the school system alongside their children.

Schelissia Toomey: Breaking down math

Toomey, a math teacher at Scarborough Model Middle School, was nominated by several of her current and former students, an unusual show of support from the people who sit in her classroom every day.

“She breaks things down in a way that helps me understand,” one student wrote.

Middle school math is a critical bridge. In those grades, students move from arithmetic toward pre-algebra and algebra, and the confidence they build, or lose, can shape whether they pursue advanced courses in high school. A teacher who can make abstract ideas understandable often has an outsized impact on a student’s path.

Mitchell Pouliot: Making students excited to come to school

At Davidson High School, Pouliot was praised for his work in the school’s International Baccalaureate courses.

“Mr. Pouliot makes me excited to come to school every day,” one of his students wrote.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a rigorous, internationally recognized two-year curriculum for high school juniors and seniors. Students take demanding courses across several subject areas, write an extended research essay, complete a course in the theory of knowledge and take part in creativity, activity and service projects. Final assessments are graded against international standards, and strong results can earn students college credit. Teaching in an IB program requires specialized training and a heavy commitment to preparing students for external exams.

About the Golden Apple Awards

The Golden Apple Awards recognize teachers who are making a difference in the classroom. Anyone in the community, including parents, students and colleagues, can nominate a teacher by describing what makes that educator stand out. Winners are surprised at school by a caravan of program representatives and sponsors, and each honoree is featured in a televised story.

The program is a community partnership with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Rich’s Car Wash, Hembree Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. and Terminix Southeast. It is presented on WKRG News 5, which has featured teachers from schools across Mobile and Baldwin counties.

The four Mobile County honorees join other recent winners from around the region. Earlier this month, Fairhope High School special education teacher Julia Deakle received a Golden Apple after a school counselor nominated her for her advocacy and her work with students and families.

Why recognition matters

Teacher recognition programs have taken on added importance as school systems across Alabama and the nation work to recruit and retain qualified educators. Public praise from students, parents and colleagues is one way communities show teachers that their work is noticed, and the surprise visits often turn into memorable moments for entire classrooms.

For the students who wrote nominations, the awards also offer a chance to say thank you in a way that reaches well beyond the classroom.

How to nominate a teacher

Families, students and coworkers who know a teacher who deserves recognition can submit a nomination through the Golden Apple program. Nominations typically ask for a description of how the teacher goes beyond the expected to support students. Viewers can watch the stories on Battles, Bush, Toomey and Pouliot on Tuesday nights through Nov. 10.