NEWS

Oldham educator named state's top teacher

Kirsten Clark
@kirstenlmclark

North Oldham High School's Ashley Lamb-Sinclair was named Kentucky's top educator Tuesday, and Louisville teacher Joshua DeWar earned top honors as the elementary school teacher of the year.

“I was really shocked," Lamb-Sinclair said Tuesday afternoon. "I’m still kind of processing it. It has all been a whirlwind.”

2016 Kentucky Teacher of the Year semifinalist Ashley Lamb-Sinclair poses for a photo at North Oldham High School.    October 16, 2015

Kentucky Department of Education and Ashland Inc. named Lamb-Sinclair the 2016 Kentucky Teacher of the Year and the high school Teacher of the Year  in a Frankfort ceremony.

Lamb-Sinclair, who received $10,000 and a commemorative glass bowl as part of the award, will also represent Kentucky in the 2016 National Teacher of the Year competition, according to the Department of Education.

Lamb-Sinclair said she is excited to work with new Kentucky Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt, and if she has a chance to have a message as Teacher of the Year, it will be one of "teacher empowerment" and encouraging teachers to take leadership roles.

"We are on the front lines of education," she said. "We're the ones that really know what's happening in the classrooms in Kentucky."

Lamb-Sinclair, who teaches several sophomore English classes in addition to creative writing at North Oldham, was one of nine Kentucky teachers in the running for the state’s Teacher of the Year award.

Another was DeWar. The second-grade teacher at Jefferson County Public Schools' Engelhard Elementary was recognized as the state's top elementary school educator.

DeWar, who has taught at Engelhard  since January 2013, said he was shocked to learn that he is one of nine Kentucky teachers still in the running for the award.

“I don’t think I’m that extraordinary,” he said Monday. “I think I’m an average second-grade teacher.”

Karen Mallonee, who is a world language and Spanish teacher at College View Middle School in Daviess County, was named Kentucky's top middle school teacher.

DeWar and Mallonee received a $3,000 and a commemorative glass vase for winning top teacher in their respective categories, according to the Education Department. DeWar said he plans to use the money to purchase something for the classroom.

“The kids helped me win this award, so it’s only fitting to invest it back in them,” he said on the drive back from Frankfort Tuesday afternoon.

He said he was hoping to make it back to Engelhard Elementary for the end of the school day to let the kids all hold the glass vase he won and "let them be part of the celebration."

Pruitt, in his third day on the job, commended the 24 teachers at the ceremony who received Ashland Teacher Achievement Awards.

"You guys are real beacons for our state, and what you do for our children is going to provide them with a better life," he said.

The state received more than 500 nominations for the award earlier in the year, and nearly 90 teachers filed an application to move forward in the judging process.

Oldham English teacher up for top state award

JCPS teacher in running for Teacher of the Year

Reporter Kirsten Clark can be reached at (502) 582-4144.Follow the Courier-Journal’s education team on Facebook at Facebook.com/SchooledCJ.