Bob Sparks is enthusiastic about learning and seeing all students succeed. He believes English education is fundamentally about developing students’ literacy and communication skills and involving them in a conversation with exemplary writers and their essential themes and ideas. In his eighteenth year in public education, he teaches at Jackson Central-Merry Early College High School where he instructs students in English II, English IV, and Creative Writing. He also serves as a teacher leader on the administrative team and helps oversee several student organizations. Previously, he taught for eleven years at the middle school level. A lifelong learner, Bob earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Christian Studies and a Master of Arts in Education from Union University as well as a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is currently working on an Education Specialist degree through Arkansas State University. Notably, Bob was a 2024 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow, traveling to Costa Rica to learn about global education policy and practices, and in 2022, he was named the West Tennessee Teacher of the Year by the Tennessee Department of Education. Bob has also participated in several other regional and state fellowships, programs, and advisory councils focused on leadership, education policy, and elevating teacher voices. He is a passionate advocate for literacy and public education, regularly engaging with local and state leaders seeking to elevate educators’ voices in instructional and policy decisions. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, traveling with his family, and being outdoors.