Graphic reading: 2026 Kentucky Teacher Awards and announcement of Teacher of the Year, Oct. 7, 2025, 6:30 p.m. ET, The Foundry on Broadway, 317 W. Broadway St., Frankfort

Who:

  • Robbie Fletcher, Ed.D., Kentucky Commissioner of Education
  • Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman
  • Sharon Porter Robinson, Chair, Kentucky Board of Education
  • Lu Young, Vice Chair, Kentucky Board of Education
  • Jennifer Montgomery, 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year

What:

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.

Representatives from KDE will present nine recipients of the Kentucky Teacher Achievement Award with stipends and certificates. Division winners also will receive custom-designed glassware commemorating their accomplishments.

The nine Teacher Achievement Award recipients are:

Elementary School

  • Melanie Howard, Corbin Primary School (Corbin Independent)
  • Michele Bradley, Crossroads Elementary School (Bath County)
  • Susan Coffey, Mt. Vernon Elementary School (Rockcastle County)

Middle School

  • Kimberly Stevenson, Todd County Middle School
  • Kim Yates, Pineville Middle School (Pineville Independent)
  • Michelle Gross, Spencer County Middle School

High School

  • Devina Baker, Perry County Central High School
  • Kara Byrn Dowdy, Mayfield High School (Mayfield Independent)
  • Whitney M Walker, Lafayette High School (Fayette County)

The event will be recorded and posted later on the KDE Media Portal.

When:

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 6:30 p.m. ET. Media should arrive for setup no later than 6:15 p.m. ET.

Where:

The Foundry On Broadway, 317 W Broadway St., Frankfort