| Sources |
- [S23] Atchley Funeral Home, (http://www.atchleyfuneralhome.com/), 19 Nov 2009.
Barbara Jean Ramsey Kelley obituary
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 14 Feb 2010.
Kelley loves teaching teenagers
by ELLEN BROWN
Karen Kelley is the 2010 Sevier County Secondary Grades Teacher of the Year. She teaches at Pigeon Forge High School.
Any parent who has raised a teenager knows it’s no easy job — but to teach a classroom full of them every day? High school teachers deserve an award for just showing up to work.
But Karen Kelley, Sevier County Secondary Grades Teacher of the Year, goes beyond the call of duty — and loves every minute of it.
“I love the kids,” said Kelley, who moved to Sevier County when she was 6 years old. “I just click with this age group. I think they teach me things, too. They keep me on my toes, and they’re very creative and inquisitive. They have taught me to be thankful for the little things, to not take family for granted. They don’t all have what I grew up with. They have given me a new perspective on life.”
Kelley knew early on that she wanted to work with children.
“I was leaning towards counseling, but I had lots of teachers who had made a positive impact on me — and teaching is a lot like counseling.”
Having taught for 13 years, she arrived at Pigeon Forge High School when it opened in 1999. She currently teaches U.S. History, along with Bible as an elective course.
She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee and her education specialist degree from Lincoln Memorial University. She is now working on her doctorate degree from East Tennessee State University.
“It’s important to teach the curriculum as well as to teach to treat others respectfully, to be honest and to have high expectations.”
Kelley is married to Pigeon Forge Middle School principal Troy Kelley. They have two children — Jonah, 8, and Kyndall, 5. She stays busy taking her kids to sport practices (baseball practice has already started for Jonah), and she serves as PFHS Color Guard sponsor. She also attends First Baptist Church of Sevierville.
“I was very excited,” she said of her Teacher of the Year honor. “I texted my husband right away when I found out! I think our county has some great teachers. My 5-year-old daughter is reading right now and has Ms. (Barbara) Parnell at Pigeon Forge Primary. I don’t deserve this more than other teachers, but I’m honored.”
She’s also right at home at PFHS.
“I really love the people I work with; everyone is very helpful, and it’s very much like a family. There’s no other school that I’d rather teach at. I love my job.”
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 9 Jun 2010.
Deaton, Kelley are in final nine; Sevier County educators up for state Teacher of the Year
Cheryl Deaton Karen Kelley
By ELLEN BROWN
Two Sevier County Teachers of the Year are among nine finalists for Tennessee Teacher of the Year.
Cheryl Deaton, Sevier County Primary Grades Teacher of the Year, and Karen Kelley, Sevier County Secondary Grades Teacher of the Year, are among elementary, middle and high school educators honored from each grand division of the state.
“We’re very pleased,” Jack Parton, director of Sevier County Schools, said. “They will both represent Sevier County Schools and East Tennessee very well.”
“We’re extremely proud of them,” added Debra Cline, Sevier County Schools director of curriculum and instruction. “They are so deserving of this. They represent the hard-working people who work with children every day.”
Deaton, who teaches at Pigeon Forge Primary School, has taught for a total of 34 years at eight schools in three different states. She has also served as a principal and district administrator and taught English in Colombia. She moved to Sevier County with her husband in 2001.
Kelley, who teaches at Pigeon Forge High School, has taught for 13 years and arrived at PFHS when it opened in 1999. She currently teaches U.S. History, along with Bible as an elective course. Her husband, Troy Kelley, is principal at Pigeon Forge Middle School.
According to a news release from the Tennessee Department of Education, grand division winners and Teacher of the Year will be chosen from the nine finalists in the fall.
“Sevier County has a rich tradition of our teachers being highlighted in the program,” said Cline, who noted Pigeon Forge Primary School teacher Pam Thomas, one of the nine finalists two years ago, is among several of the school system’s teachers honored over the years.
The Teacher of the Year program is sponsored by the Niswonger Foundation, which provides $21,000 in monetary awards to encourage professional development, graduate study, higher student outcomes and mentoring. As a show of appreciation and encouragement for teacher excellence, the foundation sponsors a banquet each fall for the finalists.
Deaton and Kelley were not able to be reached for comment as of press time.
ebrown@themountainpress.com
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Groom's Name Bride's First Name Bride's Maiden Name County Date of Marriage File #
KELLEY TROY V KAREN D SMITH SEVIER 08-08-1998 45227
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