Tennessee educators honored with Financial Literacy Awards

Nashville — The Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission is honoring educators from Tennessee's three grand divisions for their leadership in bringing financial education to their schools.

Alison Thompson, Sue Stringfield, Dr. Kristen Lynch, and Dr. Shemon Reaves were presented with the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission Leadership Award by Treasurer David H. Lillard, Jr. at an event in Nashville. Joining Treasurer Lillard for the presentation were Governor Bill Lee, Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, and TNFLC Director Bill Parker.

Awards were presented to an educator from each of the three Tennessee grand divisions:

• West Tennessee: Dr. Shemon Reaves, principal at Arlington Elementary in Jackson, was presented an award for successfully introducing Money Week to his students, his encouragement and support for teachers, and for his use of social media to bring parents and the community into the conversation about financial literacy. During the 2022-2023 school year, all Arlington Elementary first- and second-grade students worked through the Money Week curriculum.
• Middle Tennessee: Sue Stringfield and Dr. Kristen Lynch, who served as Principal and Assistant Principal of Vanleer Elementary in Dickson County during the 2022-2023 school year, were recognized by the Commission. They were awarded for their work to implement Money Week for all Vanleer first- and second-grade students. They actively supported their teachers with training and collaboration to adapt materials to create a comparable program for students in higher grades.
• East Tennessee: The Commission awarded Alison Thompson, a first-grade teacher at Northshore Elementary in Knoxville. Ms. Thompson engaged her students in hands-on financial literacy education through the Traveling Trunk, a collaboration between the TNFLC and the Tennessee State Museum that integrates financial literacy and state history, while meeting the academic standards for Social Studies. Ms. Thompson brought additional awareness to the program by inviting district officials, school board members, and local financial institutions to observe her students as they joyfully completed these lessons.

“Educators play many roles and take on many responsibilities as they teach our children. We would like to honor educators who are leading their schools in bringing financial education tools to their students,” Treasurer Lillard said. “They do so because they know that these lessons have real-life applications, and they are dedicated to the whole well-being of their students, and their futures.”

“Our state has benefitted profoundly from good fiscal management,” said Governor Bill Lee. “Families do too. They manage their finances appropriately when they understand and have been educated in financial literacy. Our commitment in this state has been profound.”

“I’d like to thank the business community and the leadership of the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission for making these resources available,” said Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally. “Financial literacy is something we want all Tennessee students to learn.”

“Thank you to the award winners for teaching our children a truly valuable life skill that can put them on a path to achieve financial freedom as adults,” said Senator Becky Massey, of Knoxville. “The TNFLC’s investments in financial education will reap vital benefits for our state in the future.”

Photos and video from the event can be downloaded for media use here.

To learn more about the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission, please visit TNFLC.org.