Tennessee Names 2009 Teacher of the Year
NASHVILLE – Bradley County high school mathematics teacher Luajean Bryan was named Tennessee Teacher of the Year Monday night during the annual Teacher of the Year banquet. Meera Krishnan, of Shelby County, and Micahel Brown, of Montgomery County, are the grand division winners from West and Middle Tennessee respectively.
“Teachers are on the front lines making sure every student gets the education and help they need to graduate and be successful,” Education Commissioner Timothy Webb said. “It’s a challenging and rewarding task that requires tenacity. Congratulations to Ms. Bryan, Dr. Krishnan and Mr. Brown on modeling the best of what our profession has to offer.”
Ms. Bryan has dedicated 35 years to teaching in Tennessee public schools and currently teaches 10th-12th grade math at Walker Valley High School in Cleveland. Her classroom work has been featured in Time magazine, USA Today and Education World. The student body awarded Ms. Bryan the honor of Most Dedicated Teacher in 2006. She is a long-time member of national and state professional organizations for teachers of mathematics, has been a guest speaker at regional and state professional events, authored an article for Mathematics Teacher, a national professional journal, and has been commissioned to co-author a 2009 Pre-Calculus textbook.
“Recognizing the hard work of some of the state’s outstanding educators also gives us pause to show gratitude to all teachers making a positive difference in the lives of Tennessee students,” said Connie Smith, Assistant Commissioner for Accountability and Teaching and Learning. “There is great honor in working to prepare the next generation to achieve a better future.”
Dr. Krishnan has eight years teaching experience and now teaches honors and AP biology at Arlington High School. She chairs the Science department, is a mentor for new biology teachers and has conducted coordination between Arlington Middle and Arlington High science teachers. Mr. Brown has 15 years teaching experience, the last five at Montgomery Central High School in Cunningham teaching honors pre-calculus and AP calculus. Mr. Brown has been active in education at the state-level as a trainer and member of numerous steering committees. He has remained active in the practice of his field through numerous research projects and extensive ongoing education.
Tennessee’s Teacher of the Year award program is sponsored by The Niswonger Foundation, a Greeneville-based organization that provides student scholarships and resources for school systems in Tennessee. Each of the finalists receives a cash award courtesy of The Niswonger Foundation.
More detailed information about the award winners and photos are available upon request. For more information, contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@state.tn.us.