The Cheatham County School District is proud to announce our district-level Teachers of the Year!
These outstanding educators go above and beyond to make a difference in classrooms across our district. They are helping students find their voices, build confidence, and see possibility in themselves and the world around them.
Elementary school: Carlee Darnell is a fourth-grade teacher at Ashland City Elementary STEM Academy. She has worked in education for 12 years and previously taught kindergarten and third grade at ACESA. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Austin Peay State University and master’s degree from Carson-Newman University.
Middle school: Heather Baker is an eighth-grade science and engineering Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher at Sycamore Middle School. She has worked in education for 8 years. Baker taught three years at Cheatham Middle School before transferring to SMS. Teaching is not her first career as she previously worked at an environmental science lab. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a master’s degree from Austin Peay State University.
High school: Eric Turner teaches U.S. History and honors U.S. History at Cheatham County Central High School. He has worked in education for 16 years and has taught at CCCHS since 2017. He previously worked at the Robertson County Schools Alternative Program for 7 years. He served in the U.S. Army from 1985 to 2006 and holds a bachelor’s degree in history and education from Austin Peay State University.
The three will now go on to compete for Teacher of the Year in their respective grade bands in Tennessee Department of Education’s Mid-Cumberland region.