As a former teacher, I believe there is no higher calling within a profession than to be a teacher. One of the joys I have each year as commissioner of education is to celebrate our best during the Kentucky Teacher of the Year ceremony.
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.
Kara Byrn Dowdy, an English teacher and department chair at Mayfield High School (Mayfield Independent) with 21 years of experience in the classroom, discovered a significant need for her district following the birth of her twins more than a decade ago: resources for students with special needs.
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.