# National Teacher of the Year

The National Teacher of the Year is a professional award in the United States. The program began in 1952, as a project by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and aims to reward excellence in teaching. It is sponsored by ING.

## Selection process

Every year, nominations are made by students, principals, teachers and administrators for the State Teacher of the Year awards. The profiles of the winners from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands and the Department of Defense Education Activity are submitted to a selection committee made up of representatives from each of the major education organizations. The committee then reviews the data for each candidate and selects four finalists. The winner is chosen from these finalists based on their biography, interview and eight essays they must submit. The President of the United States traditionally presents the award in the White House Rose Garden.
Although there are no clearly defined requirements, the committee looks for:
* The ability to inspire children from all backgrounds and abilities
* The respect of colleagues, students, and parents
* Activity in the community
* The ability to fulfill the duties of the award

## Duties

The National Teacher of The Year spends a year away from their teaching duties to serve as a spokesman and advocate for the teaching profession. The teacher's state and district continue to pay his/her salary in this year. The arrangements for travel and speaking engagements during the recognition year are taken care of by the CCSSO.

## Harassment and politics

Several state winners in the 2020s reported harassment, including death threats, for having pro-LGBT views or being gay. Two were forced to abdicate their responsibilities. Some states (like Georgia) require winners to be apolitical. Others look for candidates that support certain political positions, such as the Arkansas education reform law that limited classroom discussion of critical race theory and LGBT people, or anti-racism in Massachusetts.

## Recipients

| 2024 | Missy Testerman | English as a second language (ESL) | Rogersville City School, Rogersville, Tennessee |
| 2023 | Rebecka Peterson | Mathematics | Union High School, Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| 2022 | Kurt Russell | History | Oberlin Senior High School, Oberlin, Ohio |
| 2021 | Juliana Urtubey | Special education | Kermit R. Booker Sr. Innovative Elementary School, Las Vegas, Nevada |
| 2020 | Tabatha Rosproy | Preschool, Early Learning | Winfield Early Learning Center, Winfield, Kansas |
| 2019 | Rodney Robinson | Social Studies, History | Virgie Binford Education Center, Richmond, Virginia |
| 2018 | Mandy Manning | English, Language Arts | Joel E. Ferris High School, Spokane, Washington |
| 2017 | Sydney Chaffee | Humanities | Codman Academy Charter Public School, Boston, Massachusetts |
| 2016 | Jahana Hayes | History | John F. Kennedy High School, Waterbury, Connecticut |
| 2015 | Shanna Peeples | English | Palo Duro High School, Amarillo, Texas |
| 2014 | Sean McComb | English | Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts, Baltimore, Maryland |
| 2013 | Jeff Charbonneau | Chemistry, Physics, Engineering | Zillah High School, Zillah, Washington |
| 2012 | Rebecca Mieliwocki | English | Luther Burbank Middle School, Burbank, California |
| 2011 | Michelle Shearer | Chemistry | Urbana High School, Frederick, Maryland |
| 2010 | Sarah Brown Wessling | English | Johnston High School, Johnston, Iowa |
| 2009 | Anthony Mullen | Special education | The ARCH School, Greenwich, Connecticut |
| 2008 | Michael Geisen | Science | Crook County Middle School, Prineville, Oregon |
| 2007 | Andrea Peterson | Music | Monte Cristo Elementary School, Granite Falls, Washington |
| 2006 | Kimberly Oliver | Kindergarten | Broad Acres Elementary, Silver Spring, Maryland |
| 2005 | Jason Kamras | Mathematics | John Philip Sousa Middle School, Washington, D.C. |
| 2004 | Kathy Mellor | English as a Second Language | Davisville Middle School, North Kingstown, Rhode Island |
| 2003 | Betsy Rogers | Elementary, 1-2 (looping) | Leeds Elementary School, Jefferson County Public Schools, Birmingham, Alabama |
| 2002 | Chauncey Veatch | Social Studies | Coachella Valley High School, Thermal, California |
| 2001 | Michele Forman | Social Studies | Middlebury Union High School, Middlebury, Vermont |
| 2000 | Marilyn Jachetti Whirry, Ph.D. | English | Mira Costa High School, Manhattan Beach, California |
| 1999 | Andy Baumgartner | Kindergarten | A. Brian Merry Elementary School, Augusta, Georgia |
| 1998 | Philip Bigler | Humanities/History | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia |
| 1997 | Sharon M. Draper | English, Language Arts | Walnut Hills High School, Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 1996 | Mary Beth Blegen | History, Humanities, Writing | Worthington Senior High School, Worthington, Minnesota |
| 1995 | Elaine B. Griffin | K-10 Self Contained Classroom | Chiniak School, Chiniak, Alaska |
| 1994 | Sandra L. McBrayer | Self Contained Classroom | Homeless Outreach School, San Diego, California |
| 1993 | Tracey Leon Bailey | Science | Satellite High School, Satellite Beach, Florida |
| 1992 | Thomas A. Fleming | Special education | Washtenaw Intermediate School District, Ann Arbor, Michigan |
| 1991 | Rae Ellen McKee | Remedial Reading | Slanesville Elementary School, Slanesville, West Virginia |
| 1990 | Janis T. Gabay | English | Junipero Serra High School, San Diego, California |
| 1989 | Mary V. Bicouvaris | Government/International Relations | Bethel High School, Hampton, Virginia |
| 1988 | Terry Weeks | Social Studies | Central Middle School, Murfreesboro, Tennessee |
| 1987 | Donna H. Oliver | Biology | Hugh M. Cummings High School, Burlington, North Carolina |
| 1986 | Guy R. Doud | Language Arts | Brainerd Senior High School, Brainerd, Minnesota |
| 1985 | Therese Knecht Dozier | World History | Irmo High School, Columbia, South Carolina |
| 1984 | Sherleen S. Sisney | History, Economics and Political Science | Ballard High School, Louisville, Kentucky |
| 1983 | LeRoy E. Hay, Ph.D. | English | Manchester High School, Manchester, Connecticut |
| 1982 | Bruce E. Brombacher | Mathematics | Jones Junior High School, Upper Arlington, Ohio |
| 1981 | Jay Sommer | Foreign Languages | New Rochelle High School, New Rochelle, New York |
| 1980 | Beverly J. Bimes | English | Hazelwood East High School, St. Louis, Missouri |
| 1979 | Marilyn W. Black | Elementary Art | Bernice A. Ray School, Hanover, New Hampshire |
| 1978 | Elaine Barbour | Sixth Grade | Coal Creek Elementary, Montrose, Colorado |
| 1977 | Myrra L. Lee | Social Living | Helix High School, La Mesa, California |
| 1976 | Ruby S. Murchison | Social Studies | Washington Drive Junior High, Fayetteville, North Carolina |
| 1975 | Robert G. Heyer | Science | Johanna Junior High School, St. Paul, Minnesota |
| 1974 | Vivian Tom | Social Studies | Lincoln High School, Yonkers, New York |
| 1973 | John A. Ensworth | Sixth Grade | Kenwood School, Bend, Oregon |
| 1972 | James M. Rogers | American History and Black Studies | Durham High School, Durham, North Carolina |
| 1971 | Martha M. Stringfellow | First Grade | Lewisville Elementary, Chester County, South Carolina |
| 1970 | Johnnie T. Dennis | Physics and Math Analysis | Walla Walla High School, Walla Walla, Washington |
| 1969 | Barbara Goleman | Language Arts | Miami Jackson High School, Miami, Florida |
| 1968 | David E. Graf | Vocational Education and Industrial Arts | Sandwich Community High School, Sandwich, Illinois |
| 1967 | Roger H. Tenney | Music | Owatonna Junior Senior High School, Owatonna, Minnesota |
| 1966 | Mona W. Dayton | First Grade | Walter Douglas Elementary School, Tucson, Arizona |
| 1965 | Richard E. Klinck | Sixth Grade | Reed Street Elementary, Wheat Ridge, Colorado |
| 1964 | Lawana Trout | English | Charles Page High School, Sand Springs, Oklahoma |
| 1963 | Elmon S. Ousley | Speech, American Government | Bellevue Senior High School, Bellevue, Washington |
| 1962 | Marjorie French | Mathematics | Topeka High School, Topeka, Kansas |
| 1961 | Helen Adams | Kindergarten | Cumberland Public School, Cumberland, Wisconsin |
| 1960 | Hazel B. Davenport | First Grade | Central Elementary School, Beckley, West Virginia |
| 1959 | Edna Donley | Mathematics and Speech | Alva High School, Alva, Oklahoma |
| 1958 | Jean Listebarger Humphrey | Second Grade | Edwards Elementary, Ames, Iowa |
| 1957 (joint) | Eugene G. Bizzell | Speech, English and Debate | A.N. McCallum High School, Austin, Texas |
| 1957 (joint) | Mary F. Schwarz | Third Grade | Bristol Elementary, Kansas City, Missouri |
| 1956 | Richard M. Nelson | Science | Flathead County High School, Kalispell, Montana |
| 1955 | Margaret Perry | Fourth Grade | Monmouth Elementary, Monmouth, Oregon |
| 1954 | Willard C. Widerberg | Seventh Grade | DeKalb Junior High School, DeKalb, Illinois |
| 1953 | Dorothy Hamilton | Social Studies | Milford High School, Milford, Connecticut |
| 1952 | Geraldine Jones | First Grade | Hope Public School, Santa Barbara, California |