Toone’s Elementary School Lee Lynn Campbell Named Teacher of the Year Finalist

Toone Elementary School teacher Lee Lynn Campbell is one of nine teachers named as a finalist in the 2024/2025 Tennessee Teacher of the Year award. The purpose of the Tennessee Teacher of the Year program is to “recognize and celebrate the wealth of excellent teachers that exist across the state.”

“I am thrilled and deeply honored to have been selected as one of the nine finalists for the 2024-25 Teacher of the Year Award,” said Ms. Campbell. “This achievement would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my family, students, colleagues, administration, and the entire school community. I am truly blessed to have this opportunity and give all the praise to God.”

Earlier this year, at the February 2024 school board meeting, Ms. Campbell was recognized as the Hardeman County Schools Teacher of the Year from Toone Elementary School (TES) and presented her award by TES principal Charles Cranford.

Ms. Campbell, who has been teaching for 36 years, began her career at Whiteville Elementary School, teaching third grade. She later transferred to Toone Elementary, where she spent 36 years teaching various grades.

“My early years were dedicated to early childhood education as a kindergarten through third-grade teacher. Later, I was given the opportunity to move up to departmentalized fourth through eighth grades, initially teaching science before transitioning to English Language Arts (ELA),” said Ms. Campbell. “After retiring from Toone Elementary, I taught fourth grade at the University School of Jackson for two years. Subsequently, I returned to Toone Elementary, where I currently teach sixth, seventh, and eighth grade ELA.”

The nine finalists represent each of Tennessee’s eight Center of Regional Excellence (CORE) areas and the Shelby County Municipal area. The 2024-25 Tennessee Teacher of the Year, and three winners for each grand division, will be selected from this group and announced during the 65th Anniversary of the Tennessee Teacher of the Year celebration this fall.  

“I love working with my students in various capacities, including as their teacher, cheer coach, Jr. Beta Club Sponsor, Yearbook Advisor, and drama coach/director,” said Ms. Campbell who describes teaching as her passion. “The students are so much fun and constantly challenge me to stay relevant and learn new things to keep them excited about learning. They help keep me young.”

The Tennessee Teacher of the Year Finalists will have the opportunity to serve on the department’s Tennessee Teacher Advisory Council for the duration of the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. The council is composed of expert teachers who engage with the department and other state agencies throughout the academic year.

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.

To learn more about the Tennessee Teacher of the Year award, click here.

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