Kingsport City Schools Kerns Named the 2024-25 State of Tennessee Teacher of the Year

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) has announced Bryan Kerns, Dobyns-Bennett High School Fire Management Services and Mathematics teacher, as the 2024-25 State of Tennessee Teacher of the Year at the TDOE's annual Excellence in Education celebration. 
 
Kerns has spent 17 years of a 20-year teaching career as an algebra 1, geometry, and algebra 2 teacher at Dobyns-Bennett High School. In addition to teaching mathematics, Kerns created the Dobyns-Bennett Fire Program, which includes the D-B Prescribed Fire team and full progression of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Fire Management Services courses.
 
"Congratulations to Mr. Kerns on this well-deserved recognition," said Kingsport City Schools Superintendent Dr. Chris Hampton. "Bryan Kerns is the embodiment of what it means to be a life-changing teacher.  He is committed to the success of all students, he prepares them for future opportunities, and serves as a cheerleader through their celebrations and challenges. Mr. Kerns seeks first to always elevate students and in doing so, he elevates our profession. It is an honor to call him a colleague and I am grateful to have him as a teacher at Dobyns-Bennett High School and within the Kingsport City Schools organization."
 
Kern's unique work in building the D-B Fire Program has earned him invitations to speak at the North Carolina Prescribed Council annual meeting, the Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network annual workshop, and the Longleaf Alliance bi-annual meeting. He currently serves as president-elect of the Bays Mountain Park Association board and is the Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network Landscape Lead for the Unaka and Great Smoky Mountains Escarpment. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Tennessee Tech University and a Master's degree from Grand Canyon University.
 
The 2024-25 Tennessee Teacher of the Year will represent Tennessee in the National Teacher of the Year competition and serve as an ambassador for education in the state throughout the 2024-25 school year. To qualify, candidates must have been teaching full-time for at least three years, have a track record of exceptional gains in student learning, and be effective school and community leaders. 

Past Tennessee Teacher of the Year recipients for Kingsport City Schools include: Cora Cox, Johnson Elementary School (1977), and Donald Hood, Robinson Middle School (1976). To learn more about the Tennessee Teacher of the Year award, click here.
 
Kingsport City Schools (KCS) is a public school district located in Kingsport, Tenn., serving students in Sullivan and Hawkins county. The district is comprised of 13 schools, including a Pre-K, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, a high school program of choice, and an alternative learning program; with a total enrollment of over 7,400 students. 
 
KCS has been ranked the "#1 Best Place to Teach in Tennessee" by the 2023 NICHE Best Schools Ranking and the City of Kingsport has been voted as the "Nicest Places in America" in the October 2022 Reader's Digest.
 
For more information visit www.k12k.com, listen live on WCSK 90.3 FM, The Voice of KCS, or call the KCS Administrative Support Center at (423) 378.2100. We’re social too; follow us on Facebook (kcsdistrict), Instagram (kcs__district), and check out our YouTube Channel (@kcs__district).  
 
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