TAYLORSVILLE – (TNS) A middle school teacher who wants students to see how math connects to the real world is the 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year.

Michelle Gross, a mathematics teacher at Spencer County Middle School, was honored Tuesday night in Frankfort. Spencer County is about an hour west of Lexington.

The Teacher of the Year receives a $10,000 cash prize and the opportunity to spend a six-month sabbatical with the Kentucky Department of Education “as an ambassador of the teaching profession.”

“I want to build a culture of learning throughout state of Kentucky that’s rooted in community,” Gross said in a news release announcing her win. “I want to see every voice uplifted. I want it expand beyond a single classroom or a single year.”

Gross, who has been a math teacher for 22 ye

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