Kelli Madkins is an eighth grade English Language Arts teacher from the mountains of North Carolina and the 2025 Asheville City Schools Teacher of the Year. With sixteen years of experience spanning grades fourth through eighth, Kelli has served as a classroom teacher and district academic coach. She holds a Master of Arts in Reading and Literacy Education from East Carolina University, and her professional passions include designing cross-curricular resources, coaching educators, and building actionable literacy toolkits.