A middle school teacher in Nashville is Tennessee’s new Teacher of the Year, the State Department of Education announced Thursday night.
Cicely Woodard was awarded the honor during her 13th year teaching in Tennessee. She is an eighth-grade mathematics teacher at West End Middle School, an International Baccalaureate school in Nashville public schools.
Woodard was chosen over eight other finalists, representing each of the state’s regions, and she received the award at a state banquet on Thursday.
“Teachers who cultivate a passion to lead develop professionally and improve education for students,” Woodard said in a press release. “I want teachers to know that teacher leadership does not have to mean leaving the classroom to serve in an administrative role.”
The award comes with some added responsibilities. Woodard will act as an ambassador for teachers throughout the state and will represent Tennessee in the National Teacher of the Year Program. All nine state finalists will serve on Commissioner Candice McQueen’s Teacher Advisory Council during the 2018-19 school year.
McQueen praised Woodard as a teacher leader. “Fellow educators seek Woodard’s expertise in helping students grasp challenging mathematics concepts and developing meaningful classroom assessments,” according to the release.
Woodard succeeds Derek Voiles, a seventh-grade English language arts teacher in Morristown. Voiles teaches at Lincoln Heights Middle in Hamblen County Schools in East Tennessee.
At the banquet, the department also recognized two division winners from Middle and West Tennessee.
- Nancy Miles, a third-grade teacher at South Side School in Johnson City Schools, for East Tennessee; and
- Carol Nanney, a librarian at McKenzie Elementary School in McKenzie Special School District, for West Tennessee.
The competition, which dates to 1960, is based on scoring from a panel of educators from across the state. To qualify, candidates must have been teaching full-time for at least three years, have a track record of exceptional gains in student learning, and be effective school and community leaders.