The 2017 KCS District-Level Teachers of the Year – Todd Wagner (Elementary), Joanna Nash (High), and Marsha Buck (Middle), w/ BOE President Eric Hyche

Kingsport City Schools is blessed to have a team of outstanding educators providing a world-class educational experience for the children of Kingsport.  Each Spring, a select group is honored as the KCS Teachers of the Year.  School-level winners are chosen by their peers, with an elementary, middle, and high school district-teacher of the year selected by committee.

This week, the Saturday Six recognizes these award-winning educators.  Congratulations to the 2017 KCS Teachers of the Year!

1. Todd Wagner, a kindergarten teacher at John Adams Elementary School, is the district winner for grades Pre-K–4. Wagner is in his seventeenth year with Kingsport City Schools. During his career, he has served as literacy teacher leader, core coach for social studies, regional content coach for Pre-K–Kindergarten numeracy, a member of leadership teams at John Adams and Thomas Jefferson elementary schools, and a mentor for student teachers and new teachers. He has also been named a teacher of the month by Milligan College and radio station WTFM.
2. Marsha Buck, an eighth grade science teacher at Ross N. Robinson Middle School, is the district winner for grades 5–8. Buck has a total of sixteen years of teaching experience, and eight in her present position. She has served on the Robinson teacher leadership team, as a district teacher leader in science and as department chair in science for multiple years. She has been a member of the statewide science textbook adoption committee, a member of the KCS Teacher Leader Academy, and served as a State TN CORE Coach for Literacy in Science. Buck has been named Teacher of the Year at John Sevier Middle School (2007) and Robinson Middle School (2014), also being named a district-level Teacher of the Year in 2014. She is the current coach for the Science Olympiad team at Robinson, was selected to serve on Governor Bill Haslam’s Teacher Cabinet, and was appointed by Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey to serve on the State Science Standards Review Committee

   Buck has also been named a First CORE Region Teacher of the Year finalist and will advance to competition in the State’s grand division. Winners in the grand division will then advance to State-level competition for Tennessee Teacher of the Year.

3. Joanna Nash currently teaches 9th grade world history at Dobyns-Bennett High School and is in her sixteenth year as a teacher with Kingsport City Schools.  She is the district winner for grades 9–12. Nash has a total of 20 years of experience in education with both KCS and Bristol City Schools, having previously served as an instructional assistant, coordinator for the homeless education program, and coordinator for the coordinated school health program. While teaching middle school students, Nash was cheerleading coach and sponsor of the student council.  She has served as leader for the World History Team and coach for the Scholars’ Bowl Team.  In addition, she has participated in the school climate committee, served as team leader for 5th grade at John Adams Elementary, taught a summer session on social studies content methods at Milligan College, and served as a KCS math teacher leader. She has also presented at numerous department in-service meetings and workshops. Nash is now organizing a trip to Europe which will provide a global learning experience for students and allow them to connect what they have learned in their world history classroom to the places and cultures studied. 

   In addition to the three district winners, 2017 individual school winners are:

4. Grades Pre-K–4
   • Michelle Carpenter, Pre-K Special Education, Palmer Center
   • Carla Casey, 2nd Grade, Jackson Elem.
   • Renee Polson, 1st Grade, Washington Elem.
   • Ryan Robbins, Physical Education, Kennedy Elem.
   • Amy White, Kindergarten, Roosevelt Elem.
5. Grades 5–8
   • Jessica Chase, 5th Grade, Jefferson Elem.
   • Kathleen Donnellan, 7th Grade Language Arts, Sevier MS
   • Kristen Duncan, 6th Grade Language Arts, Sevier MS
   • Rachel Heaton, 6th Grade Language Arts, Robinson MS
   • Heather Hobbs, 5th Grade, Johnson Elem.
   • William Miller, 5th Grade, Lincoln Elem.
6. Grades 9–12
   • Amanda Blackburn, Science, Dobyns-Bennett HS
   • Jimmy Burleson, Special Education, Dobyns-Bennett HS
   • Joshua French, Social Studies, Dobyns-Bennett HS
   • Jennifer Gilbertson, CTE, Dobyns-Bennett HS
   • Sam McCord, English, D-B EXCEL
   • Jenny Rogers, Music, Dobyns-Bennett HS