Donnie Piercey is the 2021 Kentucky Teacher of the Year and teaches fifth grade in Lexington, Kentucky.  After graduating from Asbury College and earning his master's from Auburn University at Montgomery, he has taught in a Kentucky public school since 2007. Donnie specializes in using technology to promote student inquiry, learning, and engagement.

Over two decades of teaching, these interests have given him the unique chance to represent Kentucky and his students around the world. In 2021, he was invited to the White House to meet with the President. He received a National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship, which took him on an expedition to Antarctica in 2018, and he represented Kentucky on the inaugural National Geographic Teacher Advisory Council. He was the first North American lead for the Google Earth Education Experts Network and the first teacher in Kentucky to become both a Google Certified Innovator and a Google Certified Trainer. In 2017, he co-authored The Google Cardboard Book: Explore, Engage, and Educate with Virtual Reality, based on virtual experiences he created for his students.

Donnie's recent work with AI in education has earned him appearances on Good Morning America and PBS, along with coverage from the Associated Press. His most recent book, 50 Strategies for Using AI in the Classroom (published by Teacher Created Materials), gives educators practical ways to use AI to strengthen their teaching and enrich their students' learning. He also co-hosts The Partial Credit Podcast, a show for educators.

Donnie has keynoted and presented at conferences and schools in thirty-three states and on five continents. The Bluegrass always calls him home, however, and he regularly leads professional development for school districts around the state.