Dobyns-Bennett's Bryan Kerns in running for Tennessee Teacher of the Year

KINGSPORT — Teaching firefighting and math may not seem like a good match.But that combination has added up for a local teacher who has become a Tennessee Teacher of the Year finalist.Dobyns-Bennett High School fire management and math teacher Bryan Kerns is a finalist in the 2024-25 Tennessee Teacher of the Year competition.Rogersville City School teacher Missy Testerman was the 2023-24 Tennessee Teacher of the Year and was recently named 2024 National Teacher of the Year.Kerns and the other eight finalists represent six other Center of Regional Excellence or CORE regions in the state and the Shelby County municipal region. Three finalists will be chosen in each Grand Division: East, Middle and West, according to a TDOE news release and Kingsport City Schools news release, both Tuesday."We are excited to congratulate Mr. Kerns for being named as a finalist for Teacher of the Year," KCS Superintendent Chris Hampton said in a KCS news release. "We are equally excited that his work for students and the incredible opportunities he works hard to provide are elevated and celebrated. Mr. Kerns works passionately to create life-changing experiences for students and these opportunities make our community a better place to live. We wish him well as he continues in this process and in our minds he is already a winner."KERNS BACKGROUNDKerns has spent 17 years of a 20-year teaching career as an algebra 1, geometry and algebra 2 teacher at Dobyns-Bennett High School. In addition to teaching mathematics, Kerns has created the Dobyns-Bennett Fire Program, which includes the D-B Prescribed Fire team and full progression of the Career and Technical Education Fire Management Services courses."I have some pictures up in my classroom and started telling stories about firefighting, and students would say, 'How do you get into that?'" Kerns said in a March 2019 interview.Because of the interest, he decided to offer an after-school club for seniors, which he named the Pulaski Club. The Pulaski is the invaluable lead tool on a fire crew, which is part axe and part mattock.The club meets twice a month to learn about every aspect of firefighting. "Some members just do it for fun, while others plan to make a career of it," Bryan said in 2019. Those interested in earning the Red Card, a National Wildland Firefighter Certification, must complete at least 20 hours of online training on their own time.He recalled one student, who eventually became a plumber, kept his grades up to be in the club and finished high school because he wanted to be in the club.KERNS TALKS ABOUT AWARD"I am excited to represent Kingsport City Schools as a Tennessee Teacher of the Year finalist," Kerns said in a KCS news release Tuesday. "I hope to further inform the folks across the state about the awesome things going on in the classrooms and shops at Dobyns-Bennett High School."Kern's work in building the D-B fire program has earned him invitations to speak at the North Carolina Prescribed Council annual meeting, the Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network annual workshop and the Longleaf Alliance bi-annual meeting. He also serves as president-elect of the Bays Mountain Park Association board and is the Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network landscape lead for the Unaka and Great Smoky Mountains Escarpment.He holds a bachelor's degree from Tennessee Tech University and a master's degree from Grand Canyon University.WHAT'S NEXT?Teacher of the Year finalists in the 65th annual contest will proceed to a virtual interview that will be held in the coming weeks, when each will meet with a panel of interviewers made up of TDOE staff and other education leaders.Winners for each Grand Division and the overall winner will be selected from this group and announced at the Tennessee Teacher of the Year Celebration held in August.The 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 TDOE 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."Educators serve as role models and mentors to lead students on a path to success in and outside the classroom," said Lizzette Reynolds, Tennessee commissioner of education. "These educators have gone above and beyond the call of duty, and I am thrilled to recognize them as the 2024-25 Tennessee Teacher of the Year Finalists."To learn more about the Tennessee Teacher of the Year award, go online to https://www.tn.gov/education/."Being selected as the Tennessee Teacher of the Year and the National Teacher of the Year has given me so many opportunities to advocate for teachers and students across Tennessee and the nation," said Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year. "Congratulations to these nine extraordinary educators! I am so excited for each of you to advance in the Tennessee Teacher of the Year selection process and explore the valuable opportunities available to you in the future."