Governor Josh Shapiro and Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe announced that Madeline Loring, an educator at Jefferson-Morgan School District, has been named the 2026 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year at this year’s SAS Institute convening, the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) annual professional development conference.

“Educators – whether a teacher, a principal, or an administrator – do critical work each and every day to prepare our kids for the future,” said Governor Shapiro. “A lot of the time, our teachers don’t get the credit or support you deserve despite having our students’ back every single day. I want Pennsylvania’s teachers to know that I have their backs, and will continue to build on the progress we’ve made together. I’m grateful for moments like today where we get to celebrate the work that teachers do every day.”

Madeline Loring is a fourth grade teacher at Jefferson-Morgan Elementary School in the Jefferson-Morgan School District in Greene County. She has 13 years of teaching experience, including fourth grade mathematics, kindergarten, high school learning support, and life skills support. Loring holds a Bachelors in Elementary and Special Education with a Minor in Political Science from Waynesburg University, as well as a Masters in Administrative Leadership and a Library Science certification from California University of Pennsylvania.