Eminence Independent Middle School’s Jennifer Montgomery was named the 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year on Sept. 10. Photo by Marvin Young, Kentucky Department of Education, Sept. 10, 2024
(FRANKFORT, KY) – Growing up in Trimble County without running water or telephone service, Jennifer Montgomery said parts of her past have inspired her to incorporate project-based learning into her classroom.
“I’m proud today to represent over 40,000 other Kentucky educators who are doing the same things in their classrooms, changing one child’s life at a time by helping them simply realize their stories are important because they are important,” Montgomery said.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) announced Montgomery as the 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year at a ceremony on Sept. 10 at the Kentucky State Capitol Rotunda. She also was named the middle school division winner.
Montgomery, an English teacher at Eminence Independent Middle School, hopes to ignite a sense of passion in her students through her own love of literature.
“I believe in the power of literature to create empathy and to engage students of all backgrounds and abilities,” she said.
The award marks a major achievement in her 23-year teaching career, most of which has been spent in Eminence Independent Schools.
Montgomery was one of three finalists for the award. Barren County’s Scott Johnson was the finalist from the elementary school division and Boone County’s Hayley Dant was the finalist from the high school division.
Six other educators were recognized at the ceremony as Kentucky Teacher Achievement Award winners and semifinalists for the 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year honor.
In attendance at the ceremony were Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, Sen. Jimmy Higdon and members of the Kentucky Board of Education.
Kentucky Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher congratulated Montgomery, Johnson and Dant, who were selected by a blue ribbon panel of judges. He also thanked all of the Commonwealth’s teachers for their work to challenge, lead and set good examples for the students in their care.
“Today’s celebration honors the most important profession there is: teaching,” said Fletcher. “These nine educators represent more than 40,000 of their peers in our state who selflessly help students daily.”
He also spoke about the “All in” mentality, a goal he hopes all educators, students, families, school staff and communities across the state strive to achieve for student success
“The most important factor in the achievement of our students is the effectiveness of the teachers and principals who serve them,” said Fletcher. “We need everyone in our Commonwealth to be ‘All in’ for supporting our students and helping them achieve the success they deserve.”
The ceremony also included remarks from Lt. Gov. Coleman, who praised Montgomery and all of Kentucky’s teachers.
“To all the honorees here today, I am so proud of you,” Coleman said. “You are the best of the best and you embody what it means to fulfill a calling in the classroom. Thank you all for making a profound difference in your community, in your classrooms and in the Commonwealth.”
During Montgomery’s time as a teacher, she has worked with several community groups, incorporating them into her lessons to work alongside her students and demonstrate how these organizations play a role in society.
She even teaches an elective class called “Community-Based Problem Solving,” featuring projects like working with the local library to plant a flower garden, helping the city paint fire hydrants across town and working with a local cemetery on a website that helps people to see if their loved ones are buried there.
“Our classroom is the community, and the community is our classroom,” Montgomery said. “Students also bring projects to the table that they want to see done in our community, and we engage in those as well. This builds students’ confidence, real-world skills, and it helps them take pride in themselves, their school and their community.”
Montgomery’s role as Kentucky Teacher of the Year will begin in January. In her role, she will help elevate the importance of excellence and professionalism in the teaching profession and assist KDE’s efforts to grow, strengthen and diversify Kentucky’s educator workforce.
Jennifer Montgomery (center), an English teacher at Eminence Independent Middle School, was named the 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year on Sept. 10 by the Kentucky Department of Education. Scott Johnson (left) from Red Cross Elementary School (Barren County) was selected as the Kentucky Elementary Teacher of the Year and Hayley Dant (right) from Randall K. Cooper High School (Boone County) was the Kentucky High School Teacher of the Year. Photo by Marvin Young, Kentucky Department of Education, Sept. 10, 2024
2025 Elementary School Teacher Achievement Division Winner and Kentucky Teacher of the Year Finalist Scott Johnson
Johnson, the elementary school division winner and 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year finalist, is a science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) educator at Red Cross Elementary (Barren County).
Johnson said he is a true believer in lifelong learning and encourages students to take risks, be tirelessly curious and know that education is not limited to the confines of classroom walls.
“I teach wonderful inquisitive young minds about the world around them and how it works,” said Johnson. “We study coding, the work of Sir Isaac Newton, the form and function of our bodies and much more.”
Johnson said he intentionally makes sure his lessons show the relevance between what is being taught in the classroom and how education plays a part in the student’s life outside of school.
“I stand here today before you all as a testament to the power of dreams,” he said. “I strive every day to help young minds know that there is true power in their dreams, hopes and ambitions.”
2025 High School Teacher Achievement Division Winner and Kentucky Teacher of the Year Finalist Hayley Dant
Dant, the high school division winner and 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year finalist, is a 9th-grade teacher at Randall K. Cooper High School (Boone County).
“As educators, we are masterminds. We are mighty multitaskers and ultimate decision-makers. We are support systems, problem solvers and, at times, circus performers. However, the most important identity we carry will always be that of a teacher,” Dant said.
Dant’s mission in the classroom is to “ensure that every student feels supported, respected and valued,” she said. Daily, she can be heard in her classroom encouraging her students to be better and make good choices.
She also works with her students to develop the skills necessary for them to become academically successful and emotionally healthy.
The 2025 Kentucky Teacher of the Year will receive a $10,000 stipend and the two finalists will each receive a $3,000 stipend from KDE. All three winners received a custom-designed glass award commemorating the honor. The remaining Teacher Achievement Award recipients each will receive $1,500.
As Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Montgomery also will receive an opportunity to serve a six-month sabbatical with KDE and will represent the state in the Council of Chief State School Officers’ National Teacher of the Year competition.
Nominations for the 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Award will open on Dec. 2.
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