FRANKFORT, Ky. — Molly Seifert, an English teacher at Beechwood High School in Fort Mitchell, was named the 2027 Kentucky Teacher of the Year on Sept. 9 during a ceremony in the state capital. Seifert, who has spent 26 years in the classroom, was honored for her dedication to students and educational excellence, according to reporting from Kentucky Teacher.

Seifert was selected from a pool of nine Kentucky Teacher Achievement Award winners announced in June. She was the only high school educator from Northern Kentucky among the nine statewide recipients chosen from more than 600 teacher nominations. As the Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Seifert will receive a $10,000 cash prize and a six-month professional sabbatical opportunity coordinated by the Kentucky Department of Education. She will also represent Kentucky in the National Teacher of the Year program sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Beyond her classroom teaching, Seifert has demonstrated leadership in her school community. She serves as the speech and debate coach at Beechwood and has earned national recognition for her coaching excellence. In 2018, she received a two-diamond coaching award from the National Speech & Debate Association in recognition of the outstanding success of her program and her students' achievements at regional, state and national competitions.

"Ms. Seifert has demonstrated excellence in her 20 years at Beechwood," the school district said in a statement. "Her impact on all students is evident both inside and outside the classroom."

Beechwood High School, located in Fort Mitchell in Northern Kentucky's Boone County, is consistently ranked among the highest-rated schools in Kentucky and serves grades 7-12 in the Beechwood Independent School District.