Tennessee Department of Education details Part 2 requirements for Teacher of the Year applicants

In a webinar, Sarah Brown, coordinator of educator recognition on the Tennessee Department of Education’s educator effectiveness team, reviewed the Part 2 application and scoring process for the Tennessee Teacher of the Year program, emphasizing submission requirements, evidence standards and the new video component.

The Part 2 application must be submitted by May 12; applicants will be notified of region-level finalist decisions by June 2. Brown said the statewide scoring committee will select one finalist from each of nine regions; the application round currently narrows 27 regional semifinalists (three per region) to nine finalists.

Brown outlined required Part 2 materials: two written responses (up to 750 words each) addressing leadership experience and, if selected as Tennessee Teacher of the Year, the applicant’s primary message to colleagues and the public; a professional resume; three letters of recommendation (one must be from the applicant’s principal); a professional biography of no more than 250 words written in third person; a professional headshot; and a 3–5 minute video responding to a lesson-focused prompt. Applicants may also submit up to five pages of supporting documentation. Brown said the entire submission will be reviewed by two to three statewide reviewers and assigned a holistic score based on Tennessee Teacher of the Year and national Teacher of the Year criteria.

On the written responses, Brown advised applicants to "answer the question" by unpacking each prompt, use distinct examples across prompts so the overall application presents a comprehensive picture, and connect leadership actions to tangible results where possible. For the leadership prompt she described four roles the Commissioner's Teacher Advisory Council expects its members to play: poised advocate, ambassador, advisor and champion, and asked applicants to explain how their prior experiences prepare them to engage in those domains.

Brown emphasized document quality and accessibility: resumes should prioritize accomplishments tied to the Teacher of the Year criteria and omit contact details and references to save space; letters of recommendation should be one page, typed, and include evidence of impact on student success; and supporting documentation should be directly tied to narrative claims rather than replace them. She said identifying information may be redacted from recommendation letters to reduce implicit bias and recommended writers use neutral phrases such as "our school" or "a colleague." Brown told applicants that "Choosing not to submit supporting documentation is not gonna negatively impact your application score."

On the video component, Brown described the prompt: present a content lesson or unit that defines you as a teacher, explain how you engaged students of varying backgrounds and abilities, and show how the lesson demonstrates your beliefs and teaching. The video must be three to five minutes and reviewers must be able to view the file throughout scoring; Brown advised using a shareable link (YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox) set to allow viewing by anyone with the link and to avoid deleting or moving the file until scoring is complete. She recommended clear audio, staying close to a microphone or using earbuds, and following school- and district-level media-release policies when including student images or video.

Scoring guidance Brown provided: each written response is assessed for grammar, clarity, adherence to the prompt and evidence of ability to serve as Tennessee Teacher of the Year. The video is assessed on adherence to instructions (topic and time limit), delivery and presence, organization and relevance. Reviewers will assign a holistic score combining written responses, video and supporting materials; the top-scoring applicant in each region will become the region finalist.

Brown closed by noting that interview instructions for region finalists will be provided after finalist notifications and that a guidebook and program resources (including the written criteria) are available on the Tennessee Teacher of the Year website and will be emailed to applicants.