Tennessee Teacher of the Year program outlines application steps, deadlines and benefits in statewide webinar

Sarah Brown, senior coordinator of educator recognition in the Tennessee Department of Education's Office of Academics, told a statewide webinar on Jan. 8 that district nominations, application deadlines and the multi-stage selection process for the Tennessee Teacher of the Year program are now set for the 2025 cycle.

Brown said each district was eligible to nominate up to three educators to the region-level selection and that district nominations were due Dec. 23, 2024; candidates must submit the Part 1 application by Feb. 3, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. to remain eligible. She said Part 1 includes basic biographical information, three written-response questions and an optional three-pages of supporting documentation.

"That is due on February 3, 2025 because that's the year we're in, 2025, by midnight, 11:59 PM," Brown said. She described the schedule that will follow: statewide scoring of Part 1, notification of 27 region-level semifinalists around April 1; distribution of the Part 2 application to semifinalists; Part 2 submission by May 12; statewide scoring to select nine region finalists; and a virtual interview of the nine finalists in June that, together with the application materials, will produce the state winners who represent Tennessee's east, middle and west grand divisions and one statewide Tennessee Teacher of the Year.

Part 2, Brown said, requires two additional written responses, a professional resume, three letters of recommendation, a professional biography, a brief video response and a professional headshot. She told attendees the headshot could be informal — even a yearbook photo — and that the department would provide additional guidance in a forthcoming guidebook and in weekly office hours.

Two recent state winners joined the webinar to describe how participation can change a teacher's work and visibility. Morgan Rankin, the 2021–22 Tennessee Teacher of the Year and a second-grade teacher at Southside Elementary School in Johnson City Schools, said the year of service expanded her understanding of how the education system works and gave her opportunities to "occupy space, talking to politicians, talking to representatives about education, and telling my students' stories." Rankin added, "This is your chance to tell your students' stories. You are their voice."

Missy Kesterman, 2023–24 Tennessee Teacher of the Year and the 2024 National Teacher of the Year from Rogersville Elementary School in Rogersville City Schools, described the peer network the program creates. "You get to form this unbelievable network with other really strong teachers across the state," Kesterman said, describing the Teacher Advisory Council for the nine region finalists and the broader connections available through national meetings administered by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

Kesterman encouraged applicants to claim credit for their work when completing application narratives. "If you did most of the legwork on it, tell that you did the legwork and then that you convinced other people to join you," she said. She also said the district teacher-of-the-year honor often means the most because it reflects the judgment of colleagues who see a teacher's daily work.

Webinar presenters emphasized resources for applicants: a Tennessee Teacher of the Year website with guidance materials, a planned guidebook to be shared by the coordinator, weekly office hours for questions and a recorded webinar archive that will be posted online. Brown said webinar two in the applicant series is scheduled for Jan. 15 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. CST and urged applicants to contact their principal or district instructional supervisor to learn about local selection procedures.

The webinar included a brief reminder from Brown about state policy on generative AI tools in meetings hosted on state resources: "The state of Tennessee does not currently permit the use of generative AI tools such as Otter in meetings hosted on state resources," she said, cautioning participants not to use such tools during state-hosted meetings.

The department did not take formal votes during the webinar. Presenters provided deadlines, explained application components and offered optional resources and office hours; no regulatory or legislative changes were announced.

Upcoming deadlines and key application dates summarized from the webinar: • District nominations due: Dec. 23, 2024 (districts that had not reported by that date are not eligible). • Part 1 application due: Feb. 3, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. CST. • Region-level semifinalist notification: by April 1, 2025 (27 semifinalists). • Part 2 application due: May 12, 2025. • Nine region finalists selected and notified in June 2025; virtual interviews of finalists will determine the state winners who will represent Tennessee at the national level administered by CCSSO.

For more information, Brown directed applicants to the Tennessee Teacher of the Year website, the coordinator's office hours and the department's email contact list; she said webinar recordings and historical guidebooks would be posted online when available.