Local educator among this year’s WestTeach class

The UT Martin WestStar Leadership Program’s sixth WestTeach class has been chosen, with a local educator among the participants.

Mary Katras, a teacher at Jackson Central-Merry Early College High School was named to the WestTeach class. According to the Jackson-Madison County School System’s website, Katras is a computer science teacher at the local high school.

The sixth annual WestTeach class will meet for the first of four sessions Aug. 26-27 in Martin and Union City. The remaining sessions will be held Sept. 25 in Jackson, Oct. 30 in Dyersburg and Nov. 14 in Brownsville. The class includes 23 participants from 14 counties. Graduation is scheduled Dec. 17 in Martin. 

WestTeach was created as a class project by the 2017 WestStar Leadership class to support teacher development. A new class is selected annually by the program’s advisory committee following teacher nominations by school superintendents and directors. 

West Tennessee teachers selected for the program learn about the region’s economic needs and opportunities. Each class also meets with regional industry and community leaders to learn more about what students might experience outside of the classroom both in the workplace and beyond. Eighty-nine teachers have completed the program since it began.

Additional members of the 2024 class are: Rachel Abbott, Peabody High School, Trenton; LaTresa Bond, East Side Elementary School, Brownsville; Asia Childress, Fifth Consolidated Elementary School, Dyersburg; Dana Christian, Central Middle School, Hollow Rock-Bruceton; Michaela Frederick, Sharon School, Sharon; Mary Greer, Dyer County High School, Newbern; Leslie Hallmark, Lexington Middle School, Lexington; Meeka Hayslett, Charger Academy, Covington; Sandy Hodges, Peabody High School, Trenton; Lisa Hubbard, E.W. Grove School, Paris; Chandra Maclin, Humboldt Junior/Senior High, Humboldt; Jan Mitchell, Greenfield School, Greenfield; Kelly Noel, Halls High School, Halls; Diane Norton, LaGrange Moscow Elementary, Moscow; Stephen Powell, Gibson County High School, Dyer; Noah Rogers, West Carroll Junior/Senior High School, Atwood; Trina Roy, Dyersburg Middle School, Dyersburg; Brandy Tanner, Union City Middle School, Union City; Ginger Taylor, Huntingdon High School, Huntingdon; Tonya Twyman, Chester County Junior High School, Henderson; Aaliyah Williams, Ripley Middle School, Ripley; and Mike Wright, Selmer Elementary School, Selmer. 

The Leaders Education Foundation is the program’s signature sponsor. Other WestTeach sponsors include ATA CPAs – Advisors; Security Bank in Dyersburg; Yvette Blue, The Acceleration Coach, LLC; SIC Project Management; Tennessee District of the TRANE Company; Cary and Lalania Vaughn of Millington; and the Community Foundation of West Tennessee. 

Learn more about WestTeach at www.utm.edu/westteach or by calling 731-881-7298.