Donnie Piercey is the 2021 Kentucky Teacher of the Year and teaches fifth grade in Lexington, KY. Donnie specializes in using technology to promote student inquiry, learning, and engagement. Over the past sixteen years of teaching, these interests have given him the chance to represent his students around the world. Donnie was the recipient of a National Geographic Teacher Fellowship to Antarctica, and he also represented Kentucky on the inaugural Nat Geo Teacher Advisory Council. He is a North American lead for the Google Earth Education Experts Network, and was the first teacher in Kentucky to become both a Google Certified Innovator and a Google Certified Trainer. Donnie has been invited to keynote and present at schools in 33 states and on four continents.

Alisa Cooper de Uribe is a nine-year veteran, first grade Spanish immersion teacher who fosters international mindedness through multiple language learning. Alisa is the 2021 New Mexico Teacher of the Year. Growing up in New Mexico, she yearned to communicate in more than one language to honor the rich, multilingual traditions of her state. International travel, coupled with degrees in English and Spanish, opened the door to professional opportunities from opera to immigration. The connections among multilingualism, cultural responsiveness, and workplace excellence were poignantly evident, and when her daughter was born with dual citizenship, multilingual education became a personal and professional priority.