The Smith County Board of Education is pleased to announce the 2021-22 Teachers of the Year. This year’s recipients are: Mrs. Chelsea Bush, grades Pre-K - 4, Mrs. Lacey Williams, grades 5-8, and Mrs. Tia Medley, grades 9-12.
Chelsea Bush
Chelsea Bush is a second grade teacher at Forks River Elementary. Chelsea was born and raised in the Elmwood community and attended Forks River Elementary and Smith County High School. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Tennessee Technological University and began her career teaching 7th and 8th grade at New Middleton Elementary. She then taught Kindergarten at Forks River Elementary and for the past five years has taught second grade.
Chelsea is the daughter of Jennifer and Tommy Maynard and has one younger brother (John). She and her husband Matt have 3 children, Laikyn, Landon, and Alissa.
Lacey Williams
Lacey Williams is a 6th grade Math teacher at Gordonsville Elementary. She holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Middle School education in grades 6-8 from Tennessee Tech University and a Masters in Middle School Math education grades 5-8 from Walden University. Lacey is currently in her 15th year of teaching. In January 2006, Lacey started teaching in Wilson County at Carroll-Oakland Elementary and then transitioned to Smith County in August 2007. While at Gordonsville Elementary, Lacey earned her Master’s degree in 2010, served on the TSIN Rural STEM Cohort in 2019, is currently serving as a 2021-2022 EOP member, is currently serving as the Honor Club co-sponsor, co-hosted STEM Nights with GJHS and Tennessee Tech, and was the 2016-2017 Smith County Teacher of the Year for grades 5-8.
Lacey and her husband, Russ, have 2 children, Harper (age 11) and Hadley (age 9), that attend Gordonsville Elementary.
Tia Medley
Tia Medley teaches English at Smith County High School. She is a Smith County native having graduated from Smith County High School in 2006. Mrs. Medley earned a bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Tech University in 2009 and two Masters degrees from Cumberland University in 2018. She began her teaching career in 2010 at Warren County High School teaching English and additionally began serving as an ELA Instructional coach in 2017. She is in her twelfth year teaching English, and she currently also serves as the Interact Club sponsor at SCHS.
She has been married to her husband, Sam, since 2011. They have two sons, Tripp and Chance, who attend school at Carthage Elementary.