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MEET THE 2022 FINALISTS

Meet the 2022 National Teacher of the Year Finalists

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is thrilled to announce that four exemplary educators from across the country have been named finalists for 2022 National Teacher of the Year. The finalists are:

  • Autumn Rivera, the 2022 Colorado Teacher of the Year, is a sixth-grade science teacher who encourages students to make a difference now, rather than waiting until they are adults. Her students raised funds to help save a local lake from development and conserve it as a state park. 
  • Whitney Aragaki, the 2022 Hawai‘i Teacher of the Year, teaches high school science using cultural and place-based activities to engage students. She also works to provide equitable access to environmental science and computer science courses statewide.
  • Kurt Russell, the 2022 Ohio Teacher of the Year, teaches high school history and emphasizes cultural relevance and diverse representation in the curriculum. He co-founded a Black Student Union at his school, leading to positive impacts for both students of color and white students.
  • Joseph Welch, the 2022 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, teaches eighth grade U.S. history. He worked to integrate technology at his middle school, shifting from a curriculum that emphasized rote memorization to a class culture that emphasizes student creation. 

Each year, states, the District of Columbia, U.S. extra-state territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity select exemplary educators to serve as State Teachers of the Year. The 2022 cohort includes 56 educators. From that group, the National Teacher of the Year selection committee, which includes representatives from 16 education organizations, selects four finalists based on a robust application process. 

The finalists announced today will complete interviews with the selection committee, and the 2022 National Teacher of the Year will be announced later this spring. The 2022 National Teacher of the Year will spend the next year serving as an ambassador for education and an advocate for all teachers and students.

CCSSO’s National Teacher of the Year Program identifies exceptional educators across the country, celebrates their work in and outside the classroom, and, through a one-of-a-kind professional development opportunity helps them amplify their voices and empowers them to engage in conversations around teaching and learning, communication and advocacy and education policy and leadership. 

More information on the finalists is available here. Special thanks to the National Teacher of the Year Program sponsors: Clorox, Equitable, Google for Education, Cognia, Curriculum Associates, Data Recognition, ETS, NWEA, Pearson, Smarter Balanced, VOYA and Instructure