2025 Teacher Achievement Award Winners

​Angela Nicole Hardin, Peace Academy (Jefferson County)

Angela Hardin has the best job in the world: teaching special kids in all their wonderful glory.

For 17 years, Hardin taught children in grades K-5 with learning and behavior disorders in the self-contained classroom at Kenwood Elementary School (Jefferson County). There she worked with children from all walks of life and learning challenges, never letting a label stop any of her students from reaching their full potential.

For the 2023-2024 school year, Hardin taught at Peace Academy, a program for students in grades K-3 who require acute or long-term behavioral and mental health inpatient hospital care at the UofL Peace Hospital in Louisville. The school works collaboratively with treatment partners to provide children with a free and appropriate public education. She said she loves every single minute, grateful to be a help to students experiencing the worst kinds of trauma and crisis.

Hardin attended the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music, graduating with her bachelor's degree in music therapy. She attended the University of Louisville, earning her master's degree in special education, learning and behavior disorders, and her Rank 1 in counseling.

In her free time, Hardin likes making visuals and support materials for her school. She leads worship music every Sunday at her church. She lives with her husband, three children and her pampered (not spoiled) dachshund.

​Sarah Wallace, Robert B. Turner Elementary School (Anderson County)

Sarah Wallace, an educator with over 13 years of experience spanning preschool to 5th grade, serves as a 5th-grade social studies teacher at Robert B. Turner (RBT) Elementary (Anderson County). Deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and engaging learning environment, she instills in her students a profound sense of pride and values with their identity as Anderson County residents, proud Kentuckians and American citizens.

Wallace's educational journey began with a bachelor's degree in Family Sciences from the University of Kentucky. She fortified her commitment to education by acquiring an elementary education certification through an adult learning program at Asbury University, complemented by a master's degree in Teacher Leadership from the same institution. Wallace is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of the Cumberlands. As an educational leader, she is motivated to share her expertise, inspiring and empowering students and colleagues to attain their full potential.

At the heart of Wallace's teaching philosophy lies a commitment to student-centered instruction, differentiated learning and seamless technology integration to instill a lifelong passion for learning. Intentional in her approach, she creates a dynamic and inclusive classroom where students share her enthusiasm for learning.

Recognized as the 2023 RBT Elementary Teacher of the Year and nominated for the 2024 Gilder Lehrman Teacher of the Year, Wallace is not just an educator; she is a wife, a mother of two sons, a devoted Christian and aspires to leave an enduring legacy in what she deems the greatest calling on the planet—education.​

​Jennifer Montgomery, Eminence Independent Middle School (Eminence Independent)

Jennifer Montgomery came from humble beginnings, growing up in rural Trimble County with no running water or telephone. While her love for literature led her to become a high school English teacher, her passion for teaching was ignited when she started teaching middle school.

For the last two decades, Montgomery has been combining her love for literature with her desire to foster empathy and student agency. She ignites students' passions and gets them invested in their learning through real-life experiences. One of the hallmarks of her teaching is the focus on authentic audiences and community involvement. Montgomery invites the community into her classroom and invites students into the community, truly embodying “anytime, anywhere" learning.

Montgomery earned a bachelor of arts in English from Asbury University and a master of arts in English education from the University of Kentucky. She has taught English at every grade level from 6-12. Montgomery loves teaching at Eminence Independent, a K-12 school, because when her students move to higher levels, she still sees them in the hallways and maintains a strong connection with them. She currently teaches 7th-grade English along with several electives. She is also working to attain an additional certification in English as a Second Language to better meet the needs of English language learners in her school.

A National Board Certified Teacher, Montgomery is a wife, mother, sister, musician and lover of language. She is honored to teach and serve in the small community of Eminence where she also lives.

​Alicia C. Thomas, Lexington Traditional Magnet School (Fayette County)

As a young girl, Alicia Thomas dreamed of working as a marine biologist out in the field and in a lab with her pristine white coat. She dreamed of gathering, using her research and evidence to change the marine world.

Little did Thomas know that her path would take a different turn and she would end up changing the world as a teacher, one child at a time. Thomas became a servant and advocate for all students.

As an educator, she has served students in grades 6 through college. Her path to becoming a teacher was inspired by her botany professor who saw something in Thomas that she didn't envision for herself. He saw Thomas' ability to share her passion for science and wanted her to inspire others. She is currently teaching 8th-grade science at Lexington Traditional Magnet School in Lexington, where she engages students in scientific inquiry. Thomas provides every student with the opportunity to gain scientific problem-solving skills while inspiring curiosity and the love of being lifelong learners.

Thomas earned a bachelor of science in environmental resources, as well as Secondary Education Certification (biology) and Rank I Educational Leadership from Eastern Kentucky University. She earned Middle School Endorsement and MA Secondary Education Certification (biology) from Georgetown College.

She has been awarded the 2018 Royal Spring Middle School Teacher of the Year, Anderson County Middle School Passion Educator and Perseverance Awards and Murray State Tri-Beta Honor Society. Thomas is a mother, daughter, sister, reliable and supportive colleague, but her most passionate title is her teacher title- Ms. Thomas.

​Jamie Brown, Marion County High School (Marion County)

Jamie Brown is a 26-year veteran social studies teacher at Marion County High School in Lebanon. She currently teaches 10th-grade U.S. History and 11th- and12th-grade dual credit psychology. Brown earned both a bachelor of arts degree in history and psychology in 1998 and a master's degree and Rank I in secondary school counseling in 2002 from Western Kentucky University.

Although Brown served as a school counselor from 2007-2009, she said there was “just something missing." In particular, she missed the classroom and the daily positive interactions with students. As soon as the opportunity arose, Brown left the position and has since worked with students in the classroom every day knowing that is where she can make the greatest impact. Brown is also passionate about connecting students to the community through service and history with the National Beta Club and restoring local abandoned cemeteries with the Young Historians Club.

Brown was awarded a 2020 Teacher Who Made a Difference Award from the University of Kentucky. She was named the 2016 National Beta Club National Sponsor of the Year and served two terms as the Kentucky Senior Beta State Sponsor from 2015-2017 and 2021-2023. Brown was named the 2013 Marion County Chamber of Commerce K-12 Educator of the Year. She was a 2006 Fulbright Scholar.

Brown lives in Lebanon with her husband and two sons.

​Hayley Dant, Randall K. Cooper High School (Boone County)

Hayley Dant was always told she had “spunk." With her nose constantly in a book, she quickly learned her passion for reading could coincide with another passion of hers: teaching. During her senior year of high school, it came as no surprise to her family that she found inspiration from her English teacher and aspired to pursue her teaching career. Today, Hayley's mission in the classroom is to ensure that every student feels supported, respected and valued. She can be heard telling her students every day to “be good humans" and “make good choices." Dant continues to encourage her students long after they leave her classroom, for she views them as students for life.

Dant currently teaches 9th-grade English at Randall K. Cooper High School (Boone County) and has spent the last 13 years in education. She graduated cum laude from Northern Kentucky University with a bachelor of arts degree in English with an emphasis in secondary education. Presently, she is pursuing her master's degree in literacy at the University of the Cumberlands.

Dant's pride and joy is the Freshman Mentor Program, a comprehensive transition program in which students serve as mentors to the incoming freshmen. Hayley also serves as the English I Team Leader, English I Curriculum Representative and Teacher Ambassador, member of the District Deeper Learning Team and a new teacher mentor.

Dant resides in Burlington with her husband, Derek, and her 6-year-old son.​