December 2025
Nominations open for 2027 Kentucky Teacher of the Year
Nominations for the 2027 Kentucky Teacher of the Year awards are open and will close on Jan. 2, 2026.
October 2025
Spencer County educator Michelle Gross named 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year
Michelle Gross, a mathematics teacher at Spencer County Middle School, was named the 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year during a ceremony in Frankfort on Oct. 7.
2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Michelle Gross champions project-based learning in math
Spencer County Middle School teacher Michelle Gross is a champion for vibrant learning experiences in the projects she leads to help students understand how math applies to their lives. Gross, who has 22 years of teaching experience in math, was named the 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year during a ceremony in Frankfort on Oct. 7. She also was named the middle school division winner. Gross and eight other Teacher Achievement Award recipients were honored by the Kentucky Department of Education at the ceremony.
MEDIA ADVISORY: KDE to announce 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year during Oct. 7 ceremony
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will host the 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year ceremony. Winners of the elementary, middle and high school teaching divisions, in addition to the overall 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, will be announced during the ceremony.
March 2025
Kentucky Teacher of the Year encourages educators to share their stories
Jennifer Montgomery, the 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, encouraged members of the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Teachers Advisory Council (TAC) to share their stories during the council’s meeting on March 11.
September 2024
Eminence Independent’s Jennifer Montgomery named 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year
Growing up in Trimble County without running water or telephone service, Jennifer Montgomery said parts of her past have inspired her to incorporate project-based learning into her classroom.
2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year is ‘Living embodiment of the belief that all students can learn and achieve at a high level’
Jennifer Montgomery, an English teacher at Eminence Independent Middle School, hopes to ignite a sense of passion with her students through her own love of literature.
May 2024
Kentucky Teacher of the Year: Washington Week Reflection
Over the course of the past few weeks, I have been a part of many incredible, unbelievable, once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
January 2024
2024 Kentucky Teacher of the Year: Prioritize teacher pay, early childhood education
As the 2024 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, I have been gifted the incredible honor and opportunity to represent teachers across the Commonwealth – their brilliance, their passion, their dedication.
November 2023
Nominations are open for 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year awards. Presented by the Kentucky Department of Education, the awards celebrate some of the Commonwealth’s most outstanding educators.