West Tennessee Teacher Receives National Recognition as a Milken Educator

Award Recognizes Exceptional Teachers Across Nation

Nashville, TN— Today, the Tennessee Department of Education announced a west Tennessee teacher Alexa Guynes, a 5th-grade teacher at Dogwood Elementary School in Germantown Municipal Schools, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Milken Educator Award, one of the highest honors in education that has been dubbed the “Oscars of Teaching” by Teacher Magazine.

“Tennessee is home to exceptional educators and our newest Milken Educator Award recipient was selected for modeling excellence in education,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Congratulations to fifth-grade teacher Alexa Guynes on her well-deserved recognition for such impactful service to Tennessee’s students and the educator profession.”  

Alexa Guynes serves as a leader in her community, school, and district. Her work ethic, dedication to the profession, and willingness to always put her students first inspires her colleagues. She develops teaching practices, strategies, and community engagement that encourages her students to become well-rounded individuals. Guynes creates lessons, like her “Book a Day” project, that brings learning to life for her students. In the “Book a Day” project, Guynes starts each class by reading a book aloud to fully engage all students in reflective and analytical discussions. Learn more about Alexa Guynes here.

"Ms. Guynes demonstrates unwavering care for every child in her classroom,” said Jason Manuel, Director of Schools, Germantown Municipal School District. "Dogwood Elementary School has an incredible culture and she is a leader amongst her colleagues. Ms. Guynes makes learning fun and has a heart for students. She helps to challenge young minds, but also helps to grow her students as people. We could not be prouder to have Ms. Guynes represent Germantown Municipal School District on a national stage as a Milken Educator."

Established in 1987, the Milken National Educator Awards were created to attract, reward and retain the highest caliber professionals in the education profession. The award recognizes early-to-mid career teachers and principals for both their impressive achievements and the promise of future accomplishments. Recipients are honored with $25,000 in unrestricted awards. Since Tennessee joined the Milken Educator Award program in 1992, 72 Tennessee educators have been awarded a total of $1.8 million. 

Click here for more information about the Milken Educator Awards. 

For Tennessee Department of Education media inquiries, contact Edu.MediaInquiries@tn.gov. 

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