Celebrating Tennessee’s Outstanding Educators
TN-CEEDAR celebrates the honorees recognized at Tennessee’s Excellence in Education celebration!
Our 2026–27 statewide winners are:
• Teacher of the Year: Jenna Burke
• Principal of the Year: Heather Tinch
• Supervisor of the Year: Elizabeth Kaylor
Grand Division winners include:
• Teachers: Kelly McElhiney (East), Amy Jackson (Middle), and Tabatha DePriest (West)
• Principals: Lana Luttrell (East), Fred Hewitt (Middle), and Rebecca Scott (West)
• Supervisors: Janice Cook (East), Frankie Skinner (Middle), and Melinda Hutcherson (West)
We also congratulate Aspiring Educator Ashlyn Carter, 2026 Milken Educator Holly Logan, RISE state finalists Mandalyn Goins and Christina Leas, and Tennessee’s Novice Teacher of the Year awardees.
Thank you for the care, commitment, and leadership you bring to Tennessee’s schools. Your work helps students grow and reminds us why preparing and supporting educators matters.
Read the full announcement: https://www.tn.gov/education/news/2026/10/1/tennessee-announces-2026-27-top-educator-awards-.html
TN-CEEDAR Connects Across Tennessee
September was a busy month for TN-CEEDAR! Our statewide convening at Tennessee State University brought partners together to connect, share ideas, and continue our work to strengthen educator preparation across Tennessee.
That collaboration continued at the TACTE Fall Conference, where TN-CEEDAR’s Licensure Committee presented to educator preparation colleagues from across the state. These opportunities keep us learning from one another and working together to support Tennessee’s teachers, leaders, and students.
Thank you to Tennessee State University for hosting our convening and to everyone who contributed to these conversations!
Our TN-CEEDAR group was excited to send 21 representatives to the CEEDAR Cross-State Convening in New Orleans, LA, February 10-12.
Dr. David Cihak and Dr. Amelia Brown, from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, presented Hot Topics in Registered Teacher Apprenticeships: Round Table Conversations with Practitioners.
Lori Farley, from the Tennessee Department of Education, presented Accountability in Action: Using Innovation Configurations to Strengthen Teacher and Leader Preparation.
Dr. Kim Paulsen from Vanderbilt University presented Creating Curiosity to Classroom: Strengthening the Educator Pipeline – Lessons from Tennessee.
Dr. David Cihak, from the University of Tennesseen – Knoxville, and Dr. Canidra McGuire, from the University of Memphis, presented The Big Easy Blueprint: Networking Statewide for Collaboration & Communication.