Cannon County Schools have announced the District-Level Teachers of the Year for the 2019-2020 School Year. Each teacher was selected to represent the Cannon County School District in three categories: PreK – 4th Grade; 5th Grade – 8th Grade; 9th Grade – 12th Grade. One Teacher in each category was selected by a committee to represent Cannon County as the District Teacher of the Year in the Upper Cumberland CORE Region. A special announcement and ceremony took place in each educator’s school the past few weeks.
The Teacher of the Year program recognizes and honors outstanding teachers in Tennessee. We applaud teachers who care about children, who devote their professional lives to enriching the lives of Tennessee students, and who demonstrate exceptional gains in student achievement. Goals of the program are:
- Promote effective teaching practices by recognizing and rewarding outstanding teachers.
- Engage regional teachers of the year in education policy making through the Teacher Advisory Council.
- Encourage participation by every school in the state so that all Tennessee teachers may be recognized and rewarded.
- Build a network of local and state corporate sponsors.
- Provide a network for teachers to share effective practices.
- Encourage a sense of professionalism in teaching.
- Encourage greater participation in building a strong community-school partnership.
The Tennessee Teacher of the Year program is designed to promote recognition, respect and appreciation for teachers, to stimulate interest in teaching as a career, and to encourage public involvement in education. Teachers of the Year are selected competitively through five cycles: school, district, region, grand division and state in three grade bands: Pre-K–4, 5–8, and 9–12. Please note that these levels refer to the grade(s) taught by the teacher and not to the grade structure or designation of the individual school. The following teachers were selected to represent Cannon County Schools as District Teachers of the Year 2019-2020:
Cannon County Schools – 2019-2020 District Teachers of the Year
PreK-4th Grade – Julie Hackney of Woodland School – Mrs. Hackney is in her 18th year of teaching and is currently serving her 17th year as a First Grade Teacher at Woodland School in Bradyville, TN. She has previously taught at West Side School from 2001 to 2003. Mrs. Hackney stated, “Like most educators, I take pride in my teaching. I am always looking for advice, professional development, and researching how to give the best instruction. Over the course of the past 17 years, I have learned many things about my teaching practices. Every person in our community can make an impact on a student’s life. Helping achieve this goal is a wonderful honor and privilege.”
5th Grade – 8th Grade – Carla Parker of Woodland School – Mrs. Parker is in her 15th year of teaching and currently serves as a Fifth Grade Teacher at Woodland School in Bradyville, TN. She previously taught Third Grade at Woodbury Grammar School in 2004-2005. Mrs. Parker stated, “I feel every student deserves my best, and if I am giving them my best, I expect nothing less than their best. Every student can learn and be successful, but one of the biggest keys to this is meeting students where they are and taking them as far as possible to help them become higher achievers. It is my hope every day that I learn something new, and can make a difference for my students.”
9th Grade – 12th Grade – Mrs. Annie Reed of Cannon County High School – Mrs. Reed is in her 15th year of teaching and currently serves as English/Language Arts Inclusion Teacher/Response to Intervention Coordinator at Cannon County High School in Woodbury, TN for the past 15 years. Mrs. Reed stated, “Throughout my teaching career, I have been guided by the desire to always do what is in my students’ best interests, even if it meant creating new challenges for myself. Education cannot be a one-size fits all approach. We have to understand, as educators, that students have different needs. People learn differently, and having information presented in as many styles and ways as possible simply ensures that I am doing the best I can to provide a quality education to every student, regardless of their personal needs.”
Director of Cannon County Schools William F. Curtis stated regarding these excellent examples of the quality of educators in Cannon County Schools, “We are tremendously proud of each one of these outstanding educators. Each one of these deserving teachers exemplify the MISSION of Cannon County Schools – ‘Preparing ALL Students for Their Future’ through our VISION –‘The New E3 –Engaged in Excellence Every Day.’ These individuals live the Mission and Vision every moment of every day, and we salute them for their distinguished efforts! All of us in the Cannon County School District stand behind these outstanding individuals and wish them the very best as they represent the finest of Cannon County Educators in the Upper Cumberland Region of the State of Tennessee!”