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Eleven Tullahoma City School teachers will be honored at the November Board of Education meeting this coming Tuesday, as the district will celebrate the three District Teachers of the Year, Novice Teacher of the Year and the building-level Teachers of the Year.

TCS had four elementary teachers nominated for the district’s Elementary Teacher of the Year. Those finalists were Hailey Brazier from Bel-Aire, Megan Ferrell from East Lincoln Elementary School, Kelly Harper from Jack T. Farrar Elementary School, and Courtney Harris from Robert E. Lee Elementary School.

Voting for district winners at each grade band (elementary, middle, and high school) was conducted in late October. District supervisors, administrators, and last year’s District Teachers of the Year helped select the 2026 recipients. After the votes were tallied, the winner was announced, and Kelly Harper is the 2026 TCS Elementary Teacher of the Year.

“Receiving this honor reaffirms that I am exactly where I am meant to be and making a meaningful impact through my work,” Harper said. “It also reflects the wonderful strength and collaboration of the people around me – especially my special education team – as we work together to support our students and staff. Each day brings new moments of joy, laughter and learning, and I love that I get to have fun while making a difference. I am deeply grateful for the recognition and the continued support from both my Farrar family and our district leaders.”

Two candidates were nominated for the district’s Middle School Teacher of the Year. Those finalists were John Gilmer from East Middle School and Blair Clanton from West Middle School. Following voting, this year’s TCS Middle School Teacher of the Year is Blair Clanton.

“Being named Tullahoma City Schools Middle School Teacher of the Year is an incredible honor that fills me with pride and extreme gratitude,” Clanton said. “To me, this recognition is not just a personal achievement; it’s a reflection of the hard work, creativity, and collaboration that happens every day in my classroom and throughout our school community. Every day, I have the privilege of helping my students overcome challenges, celebrate progress, and discover strengths they didn’t know they had. Watching a student’s confidence grow when they master a new skill or advocate for themselves is one of the most rewarding experiences imaginable.”

Four finalists were contenders for the district’s High School Teacher of the Year. Tullahoma High School had three of those candidates, Katie Alderman, Byron Locklear and Amy Sisk, while Michael Holiday was nominated from Tullahoma Virtual Academy. After voting, Amy Sisk was named TCS High School Teacher of the Year.

“It is such an incredible honor to be nominated by my fellow teachers at THS,” Sisk said. “Every teacher here is so deserving – we truly have the most caring, knowledgeable, and creative faculty and staff. Being recognized by them motivates me to work even harder. I love my students, their silliness, and, of course, history. The best days are when laughter and learning collide – when a student shares a story I’ve never heard or asks a question that sends us digging deeper together. Those moments remind me that learning never stops, and they’re my absolute favorite part of being a teacher.”

East Middle School also saw Race Marin named the TCS Novice Teacher of the Year. To be nominated, a Novice Teacher of the Year candidate must be a full-time, certified, in good standing, pre-K through 12th-grade teacher in a state-accredited public or charter school in Tennessee. Additionally, teachers must spend the majority of the school day in direct instruction to students and must have completed more than 10 months and less than 30 months in Tennessee public or charter school classrooms.

“Being recognized with this honor is incredibly meaningful because it highlights how much I’ve grown as an educator in my first years of teaching,” Marin said. “As a young teacher, I’ve learned so much from my students, mentors and colleagues. I am grateful to have learned from mentors like Trent Stout and Amber Charboneau, along with many colleagues at the Panther Palace. Their guidance and encouragement have played a huge role in my growth and success. I am also lucky to have such an incredible group of students. My favorite part of being a teacher is building strong relationships with my students, which allows me to challenge and support them each day. It is awesome to watch their confidence grow – especially when a difficult concept finally clicks or when a student proudly shares their reasoning with the class. Those moments remind me why I teach: to help students believe in themselves and realize they are capable of so much.”

The November TCS Board of Education meeting will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at the TCS Administration Building, located at 510 S. Jackson St. The Board meeting officially begins at 5 p.m.

“We have some of the very finest educators here in Tullahoma,” said TCS Director of Schools Dr. Catherine Stephens. “Our annual celebration of teachers at the Board meeting is something that I look forward to every year. We are also fortunate to have the Tullahoma Educational Foundation for Excellence join us in celebrating the three District Teachers of the Year and helping to make sure they feel extra special from this organization as well. Tuesday night will be exciting, and I am looking forward to honoring each of these outstanding teachers.”