The Teachers Who Shape Tomorrow
Every student can probably name one educator who stuck. The teacher who made fractions finally click. The principal who knew their name before they expected it. The school leader working somewhere beyond the classroom, making sure teachers had what they needed before the first bell rang.
This summer, Tennessee is putting some names to that kind of influence.
The Tennessee Department of Education announced finalists for its 2026–27 Teacher, Principal and Supervisor of the Year awards on July 22. The 27 educators represent all eight Centers of Regional Excellence, or CORE regions, plus the Shelby County-Municipals area, giving the recognition a footprint that stretches from Memphis to the mountains. Winners will be announced this fall at the state’s annual Excellence in Education event.
Recognition With a Longer Reach
The nine Teacher of the Year finalists offer a snapshot of how broad that footprint really is. Jenna Burke represents Collierville Schools, Tabatha DePriest comes from Lauderdale County Schools and Sarah Comuzie teaches in Benton County Schools. Middle Tennessee is represented by Amy Jackson, Blair Clanton and Derek Zachary, while Kelly McElhiney, Kathy Parnell and Phillip Lewis represent districts across East Tennessee.
The recognition carries weight beyond an awards banquet. Tennessee’s Teacher of the Year will represent the state in the National Teacher of the Year competition and serve as a statewide education ambassador. Teacher finalists also have an opportunity to serve on the Tennessee Teacher Advisory Council, giving classroom educators a voice in conversations with state agencies.
That matters because good ideas shouldn’t stop at the classroom door.
Leadership Behind the Lessons
The same statewide reach appears among Principal of the Year finalists Rebecca Scott, Brandon Rainey, Amber Ryan, Fred Hewitt, Meredith Gilliland, Heather Tinch, Patrick Spangler, Mitchell Whaley and Lana Luttrell. Their schools span communities from Memphis and Nashville to Sevier County and Greeneville.
Supervisor finalists Makenzie Perkins, Melinda Hutcherson, Terri Stephenson, Frankie Skinner, Wendy Wilkerson, Ashley Rust, Elizabeth Kaylor, Janice Cook and Travis Thompson show another side of education leadership. Their jobs cover counseling, academics, special education, technology, instruction and student services, the behind-the-scenes work that helps classrooms function well.
Awards can’t measure every conversation that changes a student’s trajectory or every extra hour spent solving a problem. They can, however, make that work visible.
Recognizing exceptional educators is bigger than handing out plaques. Today’s classrooms are preparing tomorrow’s nurses, engineers, entrepreneurs, skilled tradespeople and community leaders. The people shaping those classrooms are shaping the state’s future, one school day at a time.
For more information about education in Tennessee, check out https://www.guidetotennessee.com/education-childcare
