Ohio County Special Education Teacher Named Teacher of the Year

Tiffany Barnes of Wheeling Middle School is the West Virginia 2026 Teacher of the Year.

Educational leaders including state superintendent Michele Blatt were present for the announcement during the West Virginia Department of Education’s (WVDE) Celebration of Excellence in Education event at the Culture Center in Charleston Tuesday evening.

Barnes is the founder and coach of the Girls on the Run Heart and Sole team at her school and established Wheeling Middle’s annual Autism Acceptance 5K race to support special education classrooms throughout Ohio County.

As part of her new responsibilities as teacher of the year, Barnes will be requested to maintain a relationship with the WVDE for one year. During that time, she will have the opportunity to give lectures, provide consultations, and participate in other activities with the department. 

Barnes was selected from a list of five finalists from across West Virginia, who were chosen from the state’s 55 county winners for their dedication to their profession and student success. The finalists were:

• Brooke Davis, English teacher at Buffalo High School in Putnam County
• Amber Hibbard, 8th grade math teacher and math department head at Capon Bridge Middle School in Hampshire County
• Renee Powell, 4th grade teacher at Big Elm Elementary School in Harrison County
• Nicole Pratt, 2nd grade teacher at East Lynn Elementary School in Wayne County

Each finalist will receive $300 from the Horace Mann Educators Corporation and each county teacher of the year will receive $300 from the West Virginia Lottery, as well as a commemorative handcrafted coin from Blenko Glass.

As the state Teacher of the Year, Barnes is now also eligible for the National Teacher of the Year award and will receive:

• Free use of a 2026 vehicle for one year from Toyota West Virginia
• $5,000 from Highmark West Virginia
• $5,000 from the Horace Mann Educators Corporation
• $500 grant from the West Virginia Lottery
• A two-night stay at a West Virginia State Park from West Virginia Tourism
• $1,000 from Education West Virginia
• $250 Amazon gift card and teacher supplies gift box from West Virginia Professional Educators
• $150 gift card from Ivor’s Trunk

West Virginia’s Teacher of the Year program is one of the longest-running teacher recognition programs in the nation. Since 1964, the West Virginia Board of Education and the WVDE have named 62 exemplary practitioners who have represented the positive qualities of public education.

Brandon Kelley, a school custodian from Upshur County, was also named West Virginia School Service Personnel of the Year Tuesday evening.