ATLANTA — An English teacher from Macon has been chosen as the 2013 Georgia Teacher of the Year.

Lauren Eckman was named winner of the annual award Friday night during a banquet honoring 10 finalists from across the state. She teaches at the Georgia Academy for the Blind in Macon.

Sara Taylor of the Liberty County Pre-K Center was one of the 10 finalists.

Eckman started out as a student teacher at the Macon academy and applied for a permanent position there after graduation. She was hired in 2004.

State education officials noted Eckman’s students have had a 100-percent pass rate on the Georgia High School Writing Test for seven out of the eight years she has been teaching.

Being chosen as Georgia’s top teacher puts Eckman in contention for being named National Teacher of the Year.