Mandy Manning, who teaches English and math to newly arrived refugee and immigrant students Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash., was named the 2018 National Teacher of the Year.
Manning, who has taught for the past 18 years and is a National Board-certified teacher, said her goal during her term as National Teacher of the Year is to encourage educators, community members, and policymakers to make an effort to reach out to students and get to know their stories—and also provide students the opportunities to experience things they haven’t before.
The other three finalists in the recognition program organized by the Council of Chief State School Officers were: Amy Andersen, an American Sign Language teacher in New Jersey, Kara Ball, an elementary teacher from the Department of Defense Education Activity, and Jonathan Juravich, an art teacher in Ohio.
