The 2011-2012 Montevallo High School teacher of the year is Perry Lawley.
    Lawley was raised in Montevallo and graduated from MHS in 1999.  In high school his favorite subjects were band and history.  He received his Bachelor of Music Eduation and Master of Music Education degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi.
    Lawley’s love of music was not the only thing that inspired him to become a band director.
    “I had two influential band directors, Tim Weese and Craig Bates, whose passion and love for teaching inspred me to enter the teaching profession,” Lawley said.
    They influenced him as a teacher by always expecting nothing less than perfection. 
    “I enjoy when hard work and self-discipline pay off, such as when the Marching Troubadours earns superior ratings and other honors, but teaching for me is more than instilling love of music, it is helping students choose the best paths to success,” Lawley said.
    He goes beyond the call of duty, and plants tidbits of wisdom about life into his students.
    “Mr. Lawley doesn’t just inspire me with music, he inspires me with the possibilities of all this life has to offer,” senior Alex Peete said.
    Lawley’s wife, Alice, occasionally substitutes at Montevallo High School.  His happy family also consists of a cat and a dog.