Tiffany Tanner, a music education teacher at Parkway Elementary School, has been named the 2026 Columbia County School District Teacher of the Year.
She was honored at a banquet Oct. 2.
Tanner, who holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Georgia College and State University and a Master’s in Education in Curriculum and Instruction, teaches music, chorus and percussion ensemble. She is pursuing her Specialist in Teaching and Learning at Georgia Southern University.
“Tanner aims to help students grow to be the best version of themselves. Her classroom is a positive environment where students discover their talents. She believes she is more than a music teacher and strives to incorporate cross-curriculum content to grow her students in all academic areas while supporting her fellow teachers. Her dynamic teaching inspires each child to be the best Wildcat they can be,” according to the Columbia County School District website.
The top four additional finalists were Jona Gaskin, Westmont Elementary School; Kirsten Matthis, Evans High School; Lauren O’Neil, Cedar Ridge Elementary School; and Nancy Morris, Columbia Middle School, according to a news release.
The top prize is a free one-year lease of a brand-new BMW 228 Coupe Sedan, courtesy of Taylor BMW. The car also comes with complimentary insurance on behalf of Acrisure Insurance, and a $1,000 gas gift card, compliments of Affordable Auto Insurance.
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