Elementary teacher Mandy Perez of Marion, Kentucky, has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Kentucky Department of Education
I am always excited to share the story of an exceptional teacher who has earned recognition for her work in the classroom. Today I shine a spotlight on Mandy Perez, an elementary teacher from Kentucky. She has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.
Mandy, who is the first in her family to graduate from college, says she always dreamed of becoming a teacher. Her father, an immigrant from Panama, came to the United States at the age of 16. Her mother is a native of Crittenden County. Mandy earned both her Bachelor’s degree in Education and her Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Guidance and Counseling from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky.
Once she earned her degree, Mandy inaugurated her career at Crittenden County Elementary School, where she taught third, fourth, and fifth graders. Currently, she teaches English Language Arts (ELA) to sixth graders at Crittenden County Middle School in Marion. Her career as an educator has spanned 18 years.
The honored teacher declares her priority as an educator is to foster a love for lifelong learning and to create enthusiasm for reading that expands beyond the classroom walls. “Educators and society owe it to our students to promote a love for reading,” declares Mandy. “Stories can be used as learning tools to teach the importance of understanding one’s culture, being kind, showing acceptance, exercising patience, working through differences, practicing the power of giving,” she continues. “There are so many lessons students can relate to and connect within a story. It’s these types of stories that teach them how to cope, deal with situations and understand who they are,” she concludes.
In addition to her work in the classroom, Mandy serves on the Coalition for Sustaining the Profession, the Curriculum and Instruction Committee, and on the Literacy Committee. In addition, she is the ELA content team leader, sixth grade team leader, and a mentor for new teachers.
To read more about Mandy Perez, click on the following link to the article published by the Kentucky State Department of Education.
