Molly Seifert, an English teacher at Beechwood High School with 26 years of experience in the classroom, was named the 2027 Kentucky Teacher of the Year during a ceremony in Frankfort on Sept. 9.
“I’m shocked. I am so humbled,” Seifert said. “I am so grateful that the folks chose me for this award and I promise my fellow educators that I will represent all of our students’ needs and all of our teachers’ needs to the best of my ability.”
Seifert is in her 21st year as an educator at Beechwood High School, spending time as a high school English teacher in Owen and Campbell counties prior to her employment in Beechwood Independent.
Seifert also earned the 2027 Kentucky High School Teacher of the Year honor. Katherine Berner, a library media specialist at Baker Intermediate School (Clark County), was named the 2027 Kentucky Middle School Teacher of the Year. Kellie Moses, a general music and choir teacher at Garth Elementary School (Scott County), earned the 2027 Kentucky Elementary School Teacher of the Year award.
Seifert’s role at the school goes far beyond her English classrooms, too. She has coached the school’s speech and debate team since she started teaching in the district in 2006, earning several state and national honors along the way and earning an induction into the Kentucky High School Speech League Hall of Fame in 2019.
“There’s really no other extracurricular opportunity where kids truly get to speak their truth, and I try to do that in my classroom as well as in competitive speech and debate,” Seifert said. “So that, to me, is really important.”
Seifert also serves as the theater director at Beechwood High School. She said with her interest in theater at an early age, helping kids learn how to perform has brought her great joy.
“So, I wanted to continue doing it and bring that great joy to other people,” Seifert said.
Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher said each of the 2027 Teacher Achievement Award nominees, who were all honored during the Kentucky Teacher of the Year ceremony, were selected because they have the respect and admiration of their colleagues and their students.
“They are experts in their field and advance growth for students of all backgrounds and abilities.They build collaborative relationships with colleagues, students and families to create a school culture of success,” Fletcher said. “They deliberately connect the classroom to the community. They are lifelong learners and teacher leaders, using vibrant learning experiences both in and out of the classroom.”
Also in attendance were Kentucky Board of Education Chair Lu S. Young, Kentucky Department of Education Deputy Commissioner Thomas Tucker, Education Professional Standards Board Chair Amber Snell and 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Michelle Gross.
Seifert said she seeks vibrant learning experiences, whether it’s through theater, speech or with the literature she teaches in the classroom.
“Vibrancy in that regard is… acting out Macbeth instead of silently reading Macbeth, like giving the children a horse on a stick to hop across the room when it’s time for Macbeth to ride in on his horse… giving another student an opportunity to be the so-called light board operator when there’s a storm in Macbeth and somebody’s over there flicking the light switch,” she said. “So just … physically getting them up and doing things when we’re doing literature to make that engaging, because that’s part of my curriculum and I have to teach it.”
And with her senior-level English classes, she tailors the nonfiction parts to what students are planning to do once they graduate, having students write a career-based research paper and giving them the time to investigate their interests.
“They really buy into it because they feel that this is valuable,” Seifert said.
Seifert said she’s blessed to work with so many phenomenal educators in her school and loves working with students.
“I thoroughly enjoy being with the kids all day. They bring me not only great joy, but also great energy,” Seifert said. “I’m so blessed to work in a building where these kids are so kind and they’re so good.”
Seifert will represent Kentucky in the National Teacher of the Year competition.
All Teacher Achievement Award recipients receive cash prizes. Seifert receives $10,000 for being the overall Kentucky Teacher of the Year and will have the opportunity to do a six-month sabbatical with KDE. As part of the sabbatical, they will be able to travel around the state to connect with other teachers as an ambassador of the teaching profession.
KDE received 600 teacher nominations this year. Judging was conducted by a qualified panel of veteran educators from across the state.
Nominees were interviewed and judged based on their teaching philosophies, teaching experiences and involvement in their respective communities. Judges also considered letters of recommendation from peers, students, families, administrators and others.
Kentucky Department of Education