Jeffrey Wright, a science teacher at Louisville Male High, has been named the 2006 Kentucky Teacher of the Year. He received $10,000 and a commemorative crystal bowl, and he will represent Kentucky in the 2006 National Teacher of the Year competition.

Wright explains science to his students in interesting and innovative ways. He shows the students how to count calories by burning potato chips. He demonstrates chemical reactions by exploding two-liter bottles. Sometimes he transports students and staff through Male hallways on the hovercraft he built. About 150 juniors and seniors have signed a waiting list to get into Wright’s physics class. He has earned numerous honors, including a Disney National Teacher Award. He received the 2006 Kentucky Teacher of the Year award from the Kentucky Department of Education and Ashland Inc. Two other JCPS teachers were among 24 Kentucky educators who received 2006 Ashland Inc. Teacher Achievement awards: Michael Ice of Sanders Elementary and Lisa L. Gimbel of Noe Middle.