The Cheatham County School District has named three exceptional educators as the 2019-2020 District Wide Teachers of the Year.
Nominations are accepted from all schools and then one teacher is selected from each academic level.
“It is an honor to celebrate these teachers who are committed to our students and their academic growth. Their hard work and dedication has brought them well-deserved recognition, and we’re very proud of them,” said Director of Schools Dr. Cathy Beck. “There is no profession more impactful than that of classroom teachers.”
The 2019-2020 District Wide Teachers of the Year are:
High school: Lauren Street, Cheatham County Central High School theatre arts teacher. Street has taught for seven years – all at CCCHS. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University and received a Graduate Certification of Education from Lipscomb University, Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Production from the University of Louisville and a Master Class in Screenwriting from the University of Las Vegas. At CCCHS, she serves as the Fine Arts/Foreign Language department chair, prom chairman and Drama Club sponsor. In 2018, she served as a summer facilitator for Fine Arts training through the Tennessee Department of Education. Additionally, she is a regular professional development presenter for the district.
Middle school: Sarah Kilgore, Cheatham Middle School eighth-grade math teacher. Kilgore has taught for six years – all at CMS. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Arkansas State University. During her time at CMS, she has served on numerous committees and has actively participated in many school events and programs. Kilgore has served as a mentor teacher at CMS for the past two years. In addition, she been recognized as both a Level 5 math and science teacher and currently serves as an assistant coach for volleyball and softball.
Elementary school: Tamara Retchless, Ashland City Elementary School RTI Interventionist, K-4. Retchless has taught for 21 years – all at ACES. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Lipscomb University. During her career, she has received numerous grants totaling more than $10,000 for educational programs to benefit ACES students. She is the current chairman of the Cheatham County Literacy Council and is actively involved in the Literacy Association of Tennessee, Tennessee Education Association and Cheatham County Education Association. In 2016, she was named the State Reading Teacher of the Year by the Tennessee Reading Association.
The 2019-2020 School Level Teachers of the Year are:
• Ashland City Elementary School: Tamara Retchless • East Cheatham Elementary School: Cynthia Vondohlen • Kingston Springs Elementary School: Jill Hutchison • Pegram Elementary School: Wendy Conner • Pleasant View Elementary School: Lanita Puthoff • West Cheatham Elementary School: the late Vickey Ford • Cheatham Middle School: Sarah Kilgore • Harpeth Middle School: Allison Mueller • Sycamore Middle School: Molly Gibson • Cheatham County Central High School: Lauren Street • Harpeth High School: Jason Nauert • Sycamore High School: Shea Phillips • Riverside Academy: Bill Parsley
All of the teachers will be recognized at a banquet in May.
