The National Teacher of the Year Program, a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), focuses public attention on teaching excellence and is the oldest and most prestigious awards program for teachers.

To help celebrate the amazing group of teachers from across the United States honored by this program, the Pearson Foundation hosts the Teachers of the Year in New York City—a visit that includes the opportunity for teachers to script, compose, and create their own personal video with the help of the Pearson Foundation’ s Digital Arts Alliance representatives.

The resulting personal films, each entitled “Why I Teach,” show why these exemplary teachers were honored by their students, by their states, and by the CCSSO National Teacher of the Year Program.

Congratulations to them all.