Teachers, staff excited after districtwide rally to prepare for new school year

MADISON – Madison City Schools launched the 2025-2026 school year last week using space themes for the world class education the district strives to provide. Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols, Assistant Supt. Mr. Eric Terrell, and Board of Education members hosted the event in a districtwide assembly at the Von Braun Center.

Schools officially opened on Monday The annual Institute Day program is also a way to recognize achievements and build excitement for the upcoming school year, and honor the teacher and staff of the year.

The District Staff Member of the Year (SMOTY) went to Florentine Keith, custodian at Journey Middle School. District TOTY (Teacher of the Year) awards went to counselor Alicia Sullivan Smith at Rainbow Elementary and Brett Burgess at James Clemens High School.

Service recognitions were also awarded to employees with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of education employment.

This year’s event was held in the Mark C. Smith concert hall of the Von Braun Center to accommodate the approximately 1,500 employees of Madison City Schools.

School Board President Mr. Travis Cummings delivered opening remarks, which was followed by a roll call of schools.

BOE members took part in announcing the service awards and celebrating school achievements.

The program ended with a video address by Huntsville icon Homer Hickam, an American author, retired NASA engineer and Vietnam veteran, whose 1998 memoire Rocket Boys was a New York Times best seller and the basis for the 1999 film, October Sky.

Hickam told how a teacher at his high school in the mining town of Coalwood, W. Va. made a difference in his learning through encouragement, giving him an external resource book and pushing he and classmates in a rocket club to enter science fairs, which they ultimately won and led them to successful science careers.