Schools have been announcing teachers selected by their peers to represent the school as 2023 Teachers of the Year.
The Knox County Teacher of the Year for each grade band will be announced from all district-wide delegates in February.
We are continuing to connect with schools from across Knox County to recognize those educators.
South Knox Elementary selected second grade teacher, Jennifer Ramsey-Allen, as their Teacher of the Year.
Jennifer Ramsey-Allen
Central High School in Fountain City chose four teachers as their Teachers of the Year. Principal Danielle Rutig recognized each with comments from fellow staff members.
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- Joyce Galat
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- Nicole Milsap
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- Andrew Turner
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- Jessica Keith
Joyce Galat teaches social studies. Comments on her: “Goes above and beyond to help students learn in her classroom and make changes for individual students when needed. She is respectful and understanding of each student’s situation and needs. She never complains when a student is added to her class, even if they are added mid-semester. She is delightful to work with and amazing at communicating how a student is doing in her class. Overall, she is a veteran teacher who has demonstrated how much she cares for Central High School and the students and staff housed in it.”
Nicole Milsap is the human studies teacher at CHS. Her colleagues said: “Nicole has been a dedicated Bobcat for over two decades. Most of her students call her ‘Momma Milsap’ for good reason. She goes out of her way to accommodate their needs by providing a safe calming environment, offering them clothes, food for them and their families, and making them feel seen and heard. She goes beyond her duties, and her classes are educational, fun and energetic while being warm and peaceful.”
Andrew Turner is a math teacher at CHS and drew these commendations from his coworkers: “Andrew Turner works tirelessly to come up with new, innovative ideas to better all students. His commitment to helping educate students while utilizing technology increases the students’ interest level and also makes learning exciting! He is constantly thinking of countless ideas and fun activities while showing a genuine care for the students. Overall, he represents everything that a teacher should be; attentive, genuine and adapts to the ever-changing modern world.”
Jessica Keith teaches English at CHS. Colleagues said: “Jessica leads with empathy and courage, she educates with love and passion, and she truly believes in this school and its mission to help prepare students for their post-secondary lives. I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard her former students discuss their love for her. Just today a student sought her out in the hallway to brag about his current grade in English, which he said was because of what she taught him last year, but he wasn’t just talking about English/grammar. He was talking about how she inspired him to actually start doing his work, something he always struggled with prior to being in her class his freshman year. This isn’t an isolated incidence. Every day I see her engage with students in a way that makes them not want to only learn English, but to also learn to be better, more empathetic humans. For this, and so many other reasons I have not mentioned, I nominate Jessica Keith as teacher of the year.”
Congratulations to these and all the educators for their dedication to serving the students and fellow staff members daily.
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