2018 Teachers of the Year announced
Published 7:31 am Saturday, April 28, 2018
<p>Colby French</p>
<p>Kristin Lester</p>
<p>Joshua Doyle</p>
<p>Kerri McCarthy</p>
<p>Jessica Middleton</p>
<p>Erin Free</p>
<p>Dianna Tipton</p>
<p>Kathy Black</p>
<p>Barbara Wills</p>
<p>Michael Jones</p>
<p>Cindy Wilson</p>
<p>Robin Prince</p>
<p>Mandy Longworth</p>
<p>LeeAnn Clem</p>
<p>Lyndsey Carmical</p>
<p>Elana Scopa Forson</p>
<p>Tammy Chapman</p>
<p>Jennifer Brock</p>
In order to encourage and acknowledge excellence in education in the surrounding area, the Harlan Daily Enterprise conducted our third annual ballot of readers as to who you consider to be the teachers of the year.
APPALACHIAN CHALLENGE ACADEMY
Colby French has been named Teacher of the Year at the Appalachian ChalleNGe Academy. French is the assistant director at the Appalachian Challenge Academy. Originally from London, he now resides in Harlan with his wife, Tiffany, and daughter, Olivia, 2. He received a bachelor’s degree in special education from Union College, a master’s degree in emotional and behavior disorders from the University of the Cumberlands, and just received a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in advanced curriculum design in special education. His passion in life is to truly help young people who are struggling to find their niche and success in life. He is honored to serve at ACA.
BLACK MOUNTAIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Kristin Lester has been named Teacher of the Year at Black Mountain Elementary School. Lester is a National Board Certified Media Specialist for Black Mountain Elementary. She is in her 18th year of teaching and loves sharing her love of reading with her students. Lester teaches library, literacy and resource skills to kindergarten- through eighth-graders She promotes reading and manages the Accelerated Reader Program. She is married to Casey Lester and they have two sons, Cameron, 14, and Caden, 10.
CAWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Joshua Doyle has been named Teacher of the Year at Cawood Elementary School. Doyle is an elementary school teacher at Cawood Elementary, and is in his sixth year teaching. He is married to Regina and has two kids, Jonah and Kellee. He is also the pastor at New Hope Church of God and an ordained bishop in the Church of God.
CUMBERLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Kerri McCarthy has been named Teacher of the Year at Cumberland Elementary School. McCarthy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education in 2013 from University of the Cumberlands. At Cumberland Elementary School, Kerri teaches third- and fourth-grade ELA.
EVARTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Jessica Middleton has been named Teacher of the Year at Evarts Elementary School. Middleton’s classroom environment promotes learning and a sense of family. She has been teaching at Evarts Elementary School since 2015. Middleton is thankful for this honor and the opportunity to spend each day doing what she loves. She devotes her free time to her husband and daughter, Macy.
GREEN HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Erin Free has been named Teacher of the Year at Green Hills Elementary School. Free teaches second grade at Green Hills. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree and Kentucky teaching certification through Alice Lloyd College and is working on her Master of Arts in education through the University of the Cumberlands. She enjoys spending time with her husband and family.
JAMES A. CAWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Dianna Tipton has been named Teacher of the Year at James A. Cawood Elementary School. Tipton has been employed by the Harlan County Board of Education for the past 25 years, and is currently a second grade teacher at James A. Cawood Elementary. She holds a BA, a master’s and a Rank 1 in education, from Cumberland and Union College. She is dedicated to her students’ academic success, but more importantly, she strives to help them realize their potential in becoming productive, caring and kind citizens, now, and as they grow into adulthood. Tipton has three children and resides in Claiborne County, Tennessee. with her husband, Tony, and youngest child, Aubrey. Her parents are Jimmy and Arlene Blanton, of Harlan.
KCEOC HEAD START/PRESCHOOL
Kathy Black has been named Teacher of the Year at KCEOC Head Start/Preschool. Black has been employed for 33 years with KCEOC child development. She holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood. She is the lead teacher at the Grays Knob center. Black maintains a CDA certificate, and is certified in CPR and first aide.
HARLAN COUNTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Barbara Wills has been named Teacher of the Year at Harlan County Christian School. Wills, originally from Jeffersontown, Kentucky, has lived in Harlan County since 1978. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehead State University, and teaches middle grades at Harlan County Christian School. Married to Glen Allen Wills, of Loyall, she has four children and seven grandchildren.
HARLAN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
Michael Jones has been named Teacher of the Year at Harlan County High School. Jones is a special education teacher and basketball coach at Harlan County High School. He is a graduate of both Lindsey Wilson and Union College. He lives in Baxter with his wife, Emily, and children, Addisyn, 10, and Mason, 6.
HARLAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Cindy Wilson has been named Teacher of the Year at Harlan Elementary School. Wilson is a Reading Intervention teacher at Harlan Elementary. She has been teaching for 17 years. She holds a Rank I degree as a reading and writing specialist. Wilson is a lifelong resident of Harlan County. She has one son, Shawn Michael, who will graduate from Southeast this spring.
HARLAN HIGH SCHOOL
Robin Prince has been named Teacher of the Year at Harlan High School. Prince has been teaching special education at Harlan Independent for 27 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from LMU and a master’s degree in special education from University of the Cumberlands. She currently teaches at the high school where she is also the First Priority and senior sponsor. She believes all students can succeed in their own way.
HARLAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Mandy Longworth has been named Teacher of the Year at Harlan Middle School. Longworth has been teaching middle school science at Harlan Middle School since 2001. Teaching to her is more of a calling rather than a job.
ROSSPOINT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
LeeAnn Clem has been named Teacher of the Year at Rosspoint Elementary School. Clem is a first grade teacher at Rosspoint Elementary School. She has been teaching 11 years. She graduated from Lincoln Memorial University cum laude in 2006 with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Learning and Development. She received her Master of Arts in special education from Union College in 2012. She is a member of the International Society for Key Women Educators Delta Kappa Gamma Lambda Chapter.
WALLINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Lyndsey Carmical has been named Teacher of the Year at Wallins Elementary School. Carmical is a third grade teacher at Wallins Elementary. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from LMU (2009) and her master’s degree from the University of the Cumberlands (2015). She has taught second/third grade for nine years — the last five at Wallins. She has been the middle school academic team coach for the last three years. She is married to David Carmical and they have four children: Cameron, Hunter, Sam and Ben.
SKCTC CUMBERLAND CAMPUS
Elana Scopa Forson has been named Teacher of the Year at Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College, Cumberland campus. Forson, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at SKCTC, received her Associates in Science from SKCTC, Bachelors and Masters of Science in biology from EKU and is working on her doctorate degree. She is a member of Higher Ground and married to Jason Forson.
SKCTC HARLAN CAMPUS
Tammy Chapman has been named Teacher of the Year at Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College, Harlan campus. Chapman is a full professor at SKCTC and the coordinator, instructor and advisor of Teacher Education. She has lived in Harlan County for 59 years and has been an educator 30+ of those years. She attended Evarts High School and went to Cumberland College and completed a Bachelor of Science, Teaching Certification, Rank 2 and Masters in Education. She continued her education at EKU to receive Rank 1, Planned Sixth year program and Principal Certification. She is currently completing my Doctorate in Educational Leadership at EKU.
SUNSHINE PRESCHOOL
Jennifer Brock has been named Teacher of the Year at Sunshine Preschool. Brock is a 1988 graduate of Harlan High School. She received her Bachelor of Science in elementary education from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree in elementary education from Union College. She was the first National Board Certified Teacher in Harlan County. She has since renewed that certification as an early childhood generalist. She has been teaching for 24 years and has been at Sunshine School for 18 years.
