The CCSSO Teacher of the Year Program

Since 2007, The Pearson Foundation has been a proud supporter of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)’s National Teacher of the Year program.

The National Teacher of the Year Program began in 1952 and continues as the oldest, most prestigious national honors program that focuses public attention on excellence in teaching. The National Teacher of the Year is chosen from among more than 50 State Teachers of the Year by a national selection committee representing major national education organizations.

Each April, the National Teacher of the Year is introduced to the American people by the President of the United States. The National Teacher of the Year is also released from classroom duties during the year of recognition to travel nationally and internationally as a spokesperson for the teaching profession.

In the fall, Teachers of the Year from across the United States visit New York City, and—as guests of the Pearson Foundation—script, compose, and create their own personal video with the help of the Pearson Foundation’s Digital Arts Alliance representatives. Teachers integrated photos of their students, their classrooms, and their schools with personal narratives that showcased their motivations for teaching. They then made use of the latest digital filmmaking software to create the completed films.

The resulting films, each entitled “Why I Teach,” showcase the personal motivations, challenges, and successes of each year’s honorees. These testimonies present in these exemplary educators’ own words their personal reasons for choosing teaching as a career.