DCS celebrates retirees and Teachers of the Year

Hannah Pankey - editor

Photos by Hannah Pankey and

On May 5, 2025, Dyersburg City Schools held its annual Teacher of the Year and Retirement Appreciation Dinner directly following a school board meeting. The DHS cafeteria staff prepared the meal, and board member Steve Nunley gave the invocation before the meal. After the meal, Director of Schools Kim Worley began the program with a welcome to all staff members and a thank you to Kim Yeiter and Megan Brock for decorating the atrium and creating the program, as well as extending a thank you to Security Bank for helping to prepare a portion of the meal. 

   After, she turned the floor over to Linda DeBerry to introduce the DPS Teacher of the Year. DeBerry recognized and thanked Ashley Winn for her accomplishment, while acknowledging her hard work and dedication to her students. DeBerry turned the floor over to Jeremy Hinson to introduce the DIS Teacher of the Year, Sara Stephenson. Hinson noted Stephenson’s dedication to her students and presented her with her award. Hinson turned the floor over to Matt Spraker to introduce the DMS Teacher of the Year, Carole McCullough, noting that McCullough has been a recipient of this award multiple times during her career. Spraker turned the floor over to Yeiter and Kamela Rogers to introduce the DHS Teacher of the Year. After announcing Lynsey Butler as the Teacher of the Year, Yeiter shared heartfelt messages from several DHS students about Butler’s dedication to making her students succeed, and Rogers also shared that the Agriculture program at DHS has flourished due to Butler’s hard work.  

   Then, DeBerry returned to the floor to introduce and recognize the retiring employees at DPS, Susan Troy and Mildred Sutton. DeBerry honored and then recited nursery rhyme-themed personalized poems for each of those retiring employees. Hinson then recognized the retiring employees at DIS, Sharon Grooms and Stacey Wright. Hinson noted that both retirees have served Dyersburg for many years and have had a lasting impact on students. Then, Matt Spraker recognized retiring employees Charlotte Haslet and Carole McCullough. Both staff members have served Dyersburg for many years, and Spraker shared some of their after-retirement plans. Worley then recognized a retiring central office employee, Mindy Collins. Worley honored her service to Dyersburg City Schools and noted that Collins has worked for Dyersburg for decades and with three different superintendents. Other retiring employees include Teresa Maxwell and Jackie Bartlett at DHS. Worley then closed out the ceremony so staff members could congratulate each other and honor retiring employees together.