The Tennessee Department of Education on Wednesday announced the nine finalists from across the state for the 2020-21 Tennessee Teacher of the Year award.  

The finalists represent each of the eight Center of Regional Excellence areas in the state, as well as the Shelby County-Municipals area, with three finalists in each Grand Division- West, Middle, and East.  

“The 2019-20 school year has reminded all of us how deeply communities appreciate our educators and value their work. Even in the face of uncertainty, educators across the state have continued to demonstrate their passion and commitment to our students in a new and unprecedented learning environment,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “We are thankful and proud to have exceptional leaders like these finalists in our state serving our students.” 

The nine finalists for 2020-21 Tennessee Teacher of the Year are:  

West Tennessee

 

Teacher	School	District	CORE Region
Daniel Warner	East High School	Shelby County Schools	Shelby/Municipals
Candace Sanders	Halls Elementary	Lauderdale County Schools	Southwest
Katherine Madden-Bruketta	Peabody High School	Trenton Special School District	Northwest

 

                      Middle Tennessee 

 

Teacher	School	District	CORE Region
Lauryn England	Fall-HamiltonElementary	Metro Nashville Public Schools	Mid Cumberland
Samantha Stevens	Tullahoma High School	Tullahoma City Schools	South Central
Teresa Buckner	White County MiddleSchool	White County Schools	Upper Cumberland

 

         East Tennessee 

 

Teacher	School	District	CORE Region
Tonya Lee	Englewood Elementary	McMinn County Schools	Southeast
Kami Lunsford	Karns Middle School	Knox County Schools	East Tennessee
Hannah Hopper	Fairview-MargueriteElementary	Hamblen County Schools	First Tennessee

Districts were able to nominate three educators representing each of the three grade bands. Out of over 200 applications, 27 regional semifinalists were identified, and the nine finalists were selected from a CORE region selection committee and state-level selection committee. 

“Serving the state’s superintendents has afforded me the opportunity to see firsthand the incredible work happening by our district leaders and educators, especially in light of COVID-19,” said Barry Olhausen, assistant executive director of TOSS, Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents. “I am honored to support the department’s recognition efforts of our exceptional teachers by serving on the state selection committee as we all navigate a new frontier of education.”  

To qualify for Teacher of the Year, candidates must have been teaching full-time for at least three years, have a track record of exceptional gains in student learning, and be effective school and community leaders. 

Following a panel interview with each finalist, Grand Division winners and the Tennessee Teacher of the Year will be selected from this group of finalists and announced during an honorary banquet this fall. 

The final winner will represent Tennessee in the National Teacher of the Year competition and serve as an ambassador for education in the state throughout the 2020-21 school year. 

These finalists will also have the opportunity to serve on Commissioner Schwinn’s Teacher Advisory Council for the duration of the 2020-21 school year. This council acts as a working group of expert teachers to provide feedback and inform the work of the department throughout the school year. Additionally, to provide continuity and leadership, the three Grand Division winners will continue their terms on the Council during the 2021-22 school year. 

To learn more about the Tennessee Teacher of the Year award, click here.