January 2023
2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year: Because I applied…
Almost two years ago, I quietly received an email that I was nominated for the 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year. I remember thinking that I would never be picked because I didn’t feel like I had done anything worth celebrating.
November 2022
Nominations open for 2024 Kentucky Teacher of the Year
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 Kentucky Teacher Awards.
September 2022
Crittenden County’s Mandy Perez named 2023 Kentucky Teacher of the Year
Mandy Perez, a 6th-grade English and language arts teacher [...]
2023 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Mandy Perez inspires students to fall in love with reading
When Mandy Perez was little, she remembers asking her elementary school teachers at the end of every school year for their extra worksheets. “I would take those worksheets home and play school with my little sister during the summertime,” she said. “I never stop learning, and I love working with children. It’s my passion in life.”
August 2022
11 Semifinalists named for 2023 Kentucky Teacher of the Year
Eleven outstanding teachers from across the state are semifinalists for the 2023 Kentucky Teacher of the Year award, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and Valvoline Inc. announced Aug. 1.
May 2022
2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year testifies before U.S. House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in Washington, D.C., on May 19.
September 2021
Montgomery County’s Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. named 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year
Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr., an English and French teacher at Montgomery County High School, is the 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year and High School Teacher of the Year, the Kentucky Department of Education and Valvoline announced on Sept. 9.
2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. uses humanity to transcend education for his students
As a child growing up in Floyd County, Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. recalls having limited access to the recourses he needed for school. Whether it was paper, pencils or even a pair of shoes, he knew he could rely on his teachers to help him get by.
August 2021
Semifinalists named for 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year
Ten outstanding teachers from across the state – four elementary, three middle and three high school – are semifinalists for the 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year award, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and Valvoline Inc. announced on Aug. 2.
June 2021
2021 Kentucky Teacher of the Year launches Teachers Passing Notes project
Donnie Piercey’s life has been so consumed with helping his students survive COVID-era learning that he has had little time to think about much else. With the school year ending and a new opportunity on the horizon with the Kentucky Department of Education, he now has the chance to focus on his Teachers Passing Notes project.