The Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year (PA-TOY) Program recognizes excellence in teaching by honoring K-12 teachers in public education who have made outstanding academic contributions to Pennsylvania’s school-aged children.  It is our sincere hope that you or someone in your educational community will take time to acknowledge the efforts of those teachers who have worked to achieve excellence in the classroom.  Each district may nominate a deserving educator from both the elementary and secondary levels.  Please encourage local education agency (LEA) educators, parents, students, or community members to nominate an outstanding educator. 

The nomination form, along with additional information about the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year program may be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website. Nominations received after December 13, 2019 will be considered for the following year.

When a nomination is received, the nominee will be sent an application which will be due by January 12, 2020.  A total of 12 finalists will be selected from across the commonwealth and honored at a state awards ceremony in December of 2020.  There are three rounds of scoring for the PA-TOY: application; phone interview; and videotaped teaching lesson with a message to pre-service teachers.

One finalist will be chosen as Pennsylvania’s Teacher of the Year for 2021 and will represent Pennsylvania at the 2022 National Teacher of the Year ceremony at the White House.

If selected as the Pennsylvania teacher of the Year, some of the duties may include:

Year 1: Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year * Represent PA teachers at the state level; * Present as the keynote speaker at various conferences, school districts, charter schools, intermediate units, and post-secondary schools; * Facilitate workshops and professional development sessions for school districts, charter schools, intermediate units, and post-secondary schools; * Participate as necessary with interviews for local, state, or national media outlets and publications; * Draft and submit application for National Teacher of the Year with guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and PA Chapter of Teacher of the Year; * Serve as keynote speaker at the annual Standards Aligned System (SAS) Institute, and mentor the newly named Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.

Year 2: Pennsylvania Candidate for National Teacher of the Year * Serve as a spokesperson for teachers across the commonwealth; * Represent Pennsylvania as the state’s nominee at the National Teacher of the Year conference; * Attend the National Teacher of the Year Ceremony at the White House in Washington, DC; and * Attend Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama

Timeline:

1. Through December 13, 2019: nominations accepted for 2020 PA-TOY

2. January 12, 2020:  Applications must be received by nominated teachers

3. March 2020:  12 Finalists notified

4. December 2020:  Finalists honored at SAS Institute and winner announced.

Efforts to recognize a deserving teacher in your LEA are deeply appreciated. 

Questions about Pennsylvania’s Teacher of the Year Program should be directed to Dr. Nicholas Blanch, State Coordinator, at (717) 346.4369, or via e-mail to mailto:nblanch@pa.gov.