Hickory Creek Elementary’s Kaity Castleman has been recognized as the grand division winner for Middle Tennessee at the 65th Sapphire Anniversary Celebration of the Teacher of the Year Award. 

To qualify for Tennessee Teacher of the Year, teachers are required to have been teaching full-time for at least three years, have a positive track record of student learning and be considered as leaders at their school and in their community. 

School systems are allowed to nominate one teacher from each grade level as a candidate for Tennessee Teacher of the Year and Warren County Schools chose Castleman as its representative for fourth grade. 

Castleman’s appointment, which was announced last Friday, marks the third time in the last four years that a teacher from Warren County Schools has been recognized as Middle Tennessee’s Teacher of the Year. Over 260 teachers were nominated for the competition. Nine finalists were selected and will be members of the Teacher Advisory Council for the duration of the 2024-25 school year. 

As one of the nine finalists, Castleman will be a member of the Teacher Advisory Council while also fulfilling her duties as a teacher at Hickory Creek. 

Castleman stated she is overjoyed by her nomination. 

“I am so incredibly honored to be recognized as the Middle Grand Division winner for Tennessee,” Castleman said. “This recognition is the highlight of my teaching career. I wouldn’t be here today without the love and support of my family, friends and colleagues, and more importantly, my students. They are the reason I do what I do. Students are the driving force of all that I do.”

Castleman expressed her excitement as a new member of the Teacher Advisory Council and shared what she plans on doing with her new position. 

“I want to continue to grow as an educator, and teach and inspire students to be their best,” Castleman said. “Along with this, I’m excited to become a member of the Teacher Advisory Council (TAC). I hope to be able to represent students and teachers across Middle Tennessee, and I’m ready to help shape policies and bring a positive light to education across the state.”

Director of Schools Dr. Grant Swallows expressed Warren County Schools' pride in Castleman and spoke on her excellent work as a teacher.

“We are beyond proud of Kaity Castleman,” Swallows said. “Her passion for teaching and her ability to inspire students every day make her an invaluable asset to our district and to the field of education as a whole. This recognition is well-deserved, and we look forward to seeing her continue to engage and lead students in her classroom.”