NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - An elementary school teacher in Memphis has been named Tennessee Teacher of the Year by the state Education Department, the city's first teacher to win the state's top honor in 30 years.
Allyson Chick teaches second grade at Richland Elementary School. She was recognized this week during a banquet in Nashville.
State officials noted that she connects with students and parents "by setting goals together," regularly posts information on a classroom website, and provides translation for Hispanic families.
Finalists for Teacher of the Year honors besides Chick were Mary Pitner, a third-grade teacher at Learning Way Elementary School in Bedford County in Middle Tennessee, and Renda Crowe, a theater teacher at William Blount High School in East Tennessee.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
