Bryan Station’s Christy Cartner has been named the 2026 High School Social Studies Teacher of the Year. She received the statewide award Sept. 12 during the Kentucky State Council for the Social Studies annual conference in Frankfort. This year's theme was Inquire, Ignite, Inspire. 

“I love the moments with students when questions lead to more questions, or when they bring up an idea or perspective on a topic I hadn't even thought about,” said Cartner, who teaches AP U.S. History and Civics. “I also love working with other educators ranging from pre-service teachers to colleagues to mentors at the university and curricula design level – bridging the gaps between research and practice, and advocating for real students, real teachers, and real classrooms.” 

A native of Henderson, Cartner is a University of Kentucky (UK) graduate with a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. She is in her 19th year teaching at Bryan Station, where she is a teacher representative on the School-Based Decision Making Council. Additionally, she serves as a mentor teacher in UK’s Master’s with Initial Certification program for social studies education.