In surprise classroom visits, Nathalie Murphy and Whitney Key, two KCS educators, were two of six local educators honored of only 20 statewide recipients of the first-ever Tennessee Early Educator Awards.

Nathalie Murphy, a preschool teacher at Fort Sanders Educational Development Center receives her award

The statewide awards program, launched by Tennesseans for Quality Early Education (TQEE), honors outstanding early childhood educators for their impact on the lives of Tennessee’s youngest learners.

Nathalie Murphy is a preschool teacher at Fort Sanders Educational Development Center.

Whitney Kee is a kindergarten teacher at Dogwood Elementary School.

The other awardees from outside the KCS system: Seth Emmert from Oliver Tree Early Learning Academy in Knoxville, Kristi Morgan a preschool teacher at Little Sprouts Learning Center, Hannah Palmer a kindergarten teacher at Edgemont Elementary in Newport, and Miriam Alvarez a 2nd/3rd grade teacher at Pi Beta Phi Elementary in Gatlinburg.

The Knoxville educators were surprised during class on Monday, October 28th, and Wednesday, October 30th, celebrating the moment with their colleagues and students. All award winners will each receive a $1,000 cash prize, an all-expenses-paid trip to Nashville, and a shopping spree at Lakeshore Learning to celebrate their contributions to early education in the state.

“These awards are about recognizing the exceptional educators who lay the crucial foundation for lifelong learning,” said Blair Taylor, CEO of TQEE. “These 20 educators exemplify the dedication, passion and commitment to excellence that every young learner deserves, and we’re thrilled to celebrate their work.”

The Tennessee Early Educator Awards were established this year to highlight the importance of early childhood care and education professionals who work with children from birth through third grade. Of the 20 educators selected for the award, 10 are recognized for their work in birth through preschool programs, and 10 for teaching in kindergarten through third grade.

Backed by a range of sponsors, including Lakeshore Learning, Ballad Health, Hyde Family Foundation, Niswonger Foundation, the Boyd Foundation, and Crisp Communications, these awards provide well-deserved recognition to the early education profession and underscore the critical role of high-quality early learning to Tennessee’s education outcomes.

You can view all the Early Educator Award winners on the TQEE website at tqee.org/educators/early-educator-awards/.

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