Teacher Awards

Read about awards for teachers, including the National Teacher of the Year award, and the teachers who win them
National Teachers of the Year
Clockwise from top left: Carolyn Kielma from Connecticut, Jermar Rountree from D.C., Rebecka Peterson from Oklahoma, Harlee Harvey from Alaska, Kimberly Radostits from Illinois
Teaching Profession Meet the 5 Teachers Being Considered for National Teacher of the Year
From P.E. to culturally responsive teaching, the finalists all find ways to connect to their students.
Madeline Will, January 25, 2023
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7 min read
Teachers from across the country find their student’s hand-drawn ornaments while touring holiday decorations, Sunday, December 11, 2022, at the White House.
Cherie Bonder Goldman, the Georgia Teacher of the Year, takes a picture with Kabby Hong, the Wisconsin Teacher of the Year, and Jessica Wheeler Saum, the Arkansas Teacher of the Year. Teachers from across the country toured the White House holiday decorations on Dec. 11.
Official White House Photo by Erin Scott
Teaching Profession White House Decorations Include Teacher and Student Art. Why Educators Say That's Meaningful
Students portrayed their families, their hobbies, and their dreams for the future in the ornaments they created for the White House.
Madeline Will, December 12, 2022
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5 min read
Montgomery County teacher and Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Willie Carver, in downtown Mt. Sterling, Ky., on May 11, 2022.
Montgomery County teacher and Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Willie Carver, in downtown Mt. Sterling, Ky., on May 11, 2022.
Arden Barnes for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Citing Anti-Gay Discrimination, a Teacher of the Year Leaves the Classroom
Kentucky's 2022 Teacher of the Year Willie Carver Jr. said he had been unable to find support from his school administration.
Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Lexington Herald-Leader, June 28, 2022
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3 min read
First lady Jill Biden hugs 2022 National Teacher of the Year Kurt Russell as President Joe Biden applauds during the 2022 National and State Teachers of the Year event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
First lady Jill Biden hugs 2022 National Teacher of the Year Kurt Russell as President Joe Biden applauds during the 2022 National and State Teachers of the Year event in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday.
Susan Walsh/AP
Teaching Profession Nation's Top Teachers Bask in White House Spotlight
The national and state teachers of the year were honored by the president and first lady in a White House ceremony.
Madeline Will, April 27, 2022
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4 min read
Teaching Profession Video 2022 National Teacher of the Year: ‘So Honored to Be a Part of This Profession’
Kurt Russell, a history teacher from Oberlin, Ohio, shares his outlook on the profession and a message for his fellow educators.
Lilia Geho, April 22, 2022
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4:21
National Teacher of the Year Kurt Russell of Oberlin High School.
Kurt Russell, the 2022 National Teacher of the Year, in his classroom at Oberlin High School in Oberlin, Ohio.
Courtesy of Cody York Photography
Teaching Profession Kurt Russell, a History Teacher From Ohio, Is the 2022 National Teacher of the Year
Russell will advocate for culturally responsive curricula and a more diverse teaching workforce.
Madeline Will, April 19, 2022
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4 min read
Image of a small U.S. flag in a pencil case.
iStock/Getty
Teaching Q&A Teaching the Truth in Divisive Times: A Conversation With the Nation's Top Teachers
The four finalists for the National Teacher of the Year award share how they handle teaching science and history at a turbulent moment.
Madeline Will, February 28, 2022
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6 min read
Image of a note page with the following words: teach, inspire, motivate, and empower.
airdone/iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Q&A 'Let's Trust Our Teachers': National Award Finalists on Why Public Support Is Crucial
The four finalists for the National Teacher of the Year award share what keeps them in the classroom at a time of intense stress.
Madeline Will, February 28, 2022
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6 min read
National Teacher of The Year nominees
From left to right: Whitney Aragaki, Autumn Rivera, Kurt Russell, and Joseph Welch
Teaching Profession Meet the 4 Finalists for the 2022 National Teacher of the Year
The four finalists hail from Colorado, Hawaii, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and were recognized for their dedication to student learning.
Madeline Will, January 19, 2022
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5 min read
This photo provided by the Varkey Foundation shows Keishia Thorpe. The Maryland high school English teacher, who has worked to open up college education for her students, has won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize. The Varkey Foundation announced Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, that Thorpe, who teaches at International High School at Langley Park in Prince George’s County in Maryland, was selected from more than 8,000 nominations and applications from 121 countries around the world.
Keishia Thorpe, who has worked to open up college education for her students, has won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize.
Varkey Foundation via AP
Teaching Profession Maryland Teacher Wins $1 Million Global Prize
Keishia Thorpe received the prize for her work teaching immigrant and refugee students and helping them attend college.
Madeline Will, November 11, 2021
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2 min read
First lady Jill Biden hugs Juliana Urtubey, 2021 National Teacher of the Year, at a ceremony to honor the 2021 State and National Teachers of the Year, on the South Lawn of the White House Oct. 18.
First lady Jill Biden stands beside Juliana Urtubey, 2021 National Teacher of the Year, at a ceremony to honor the 2020 and 2021 State and National Teachers of the Year at the White House on Monday.
Evan Vucci/AP
Teaching Profession Joe and Jill Biden Honor Teachers at Long-Delayed White House Ceremony
The president, with the first lady in attendance, called teachers the "single most consequential people in the world beyond our parents."
Madeline Will, October 18, 2021
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4 min read
Teaching Profession Video 2021 National Teacher of the Year: Special Education Is the 'Heartbeat' of Schools
Juliana Urtubey, an elementary special education teacher in Las Vegas, is the third special educator to receive the national honor in the program's nearly seven-decade history.
Emma Patti Harris & Madeline Will, May 6, 2021
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3:13
Juliana Urtubey
Juliana Urtubey
Courtesy Photo
Teaching Profession Juliana Urtubey, an Elementary Special Educator, Is the 2021 National Teacher of the Year
Known as Ms. Earth for her work with school gardens, Urtubey is a National Board-certified teacher in Las Vegas.
Madeline Will, May 6, 2021
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4 min read
From left: John Arthur (Utah), Alejandro Diasgranados (D.C.), Maureen Stover (N.C.), Juliana Urtubey (Nev.)
From left: John Arthur (Utah), Alejandro Diasgranados (D.C.), Maureen Stover (N.C.), Juliana Urtubey (Nev.)
Courtesy of CCSSO
Teaching Profession Here Are the Four Finalists for 2021 National Teacher of the Year
The four finalists for the 2021 National Teacher of the Year challenge inequities both in their school communities and on a national level.
Madeline Will, January 27, 2021
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5 min read
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