Sullivan honors 2022-23 three teachers, one principal of the year

BLOUNTVILLE — The Sullivan County Department of Education has announced the district's three 2023 teachers of the year and one principal of the year."We applaud each of our honorees and wish to celebrate their educational contributions in our school district," Director of Schools Evelyn Rafalowski said in a news release.Schools nominate and select their individual teacher of the year designees, who then submit an application to the district. Applications are reviewed by a committee, which selects the district-level teachers of the year.Principal of the year candidates are nominated by district administrators. School-level and district-level administrators select the principal of the year.The annual awards were created through the collaboration of the Tennessee Department of Education. The honors recognize the distinguished accomplishments of a peer-nominated recipient from each district in service to their students, schools and school district.The 2023 winners are: Ashli Messer, elementary teacher of the year; Shea McClure, middle school teacher of the Year; Krystal Wallen, high school teacher of the year; and Alesia Dinsmore, principal of the year.Following is a rundown on each of the four winners:• Messer is a fourth grade teacher at Emmett Elementary. She grew up learning in Sullivan County Schools. She began her teaching career 15 years ago in Washington County. She has taught pre-K, first, third and fourth grade. She serves as Point of Contact and LEA, as well as safety chairperson for her school.She said out of all the titles listed above, teacher is by far the best.• McClure is one of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) teachers at Sullivan Heights Middle School. He is a 16-year veteran teacher with the system. He holds a master's degree in education. His classes focus on projects in 3-D printing, programming, robotics, podcasting, graphic design, architectural design, video production, computer architecture and horticulture.He also helps with The News Team, Writing Club, and Dungeons and Dragons Club at Sullivan Heights.• Wallen is a 28-year veteran math teacher who began her career at Sullivan South High School. She teaches geometry, honors geometry and trigonometry at West Ridge High School.She coached basketball and softball for 15 years at South, played three sports at Daniel Boone High School and two at Milligan University. Wallen earned a bachelor's degree in math from Milligan and a master's degree from Union College.She has been inducted into the Daniel Boone Athletic Hall of Fame and was the Sullivan County High School teacher of the year in 2017.• Dinsmore graduated from Sullivan Central, ETSU and Union College. She has been a Sullivan County elementary school librarian and a fourth grade teacher at Blountville Elementary School.She was assistant principal at Miller Perry for three years and then moved to principal at Mary Hughes for six years. She is principal at Rock Springs Elementary, a Level 5 and Tennessee Reward School.Dinsmore volunteered on the Bays Mountain Education Committee and assisted with the publication of the children's book about the park's animals. She is on the Friends of Bays Mountain Board, a nonprofit organization that helps educate the community about the park, raise awareness and assist with projects at the park.She is married to Darrell Dinsmore and has one daughter, Liza Bernethy.