Pennsylvania Teacher Named Finalist for 2026 National Teacher of the Year

Pennsylvania Teacher Named Finalist for 2026 National Teacher of the Year

Penn Watch News Report

Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe today announced that Pennsylvania’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, Leon Smith, has been named as one of five finalists for 2026 National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). Smith is a secondary teacher at Haverford High School in the Haverford Township School District in Havertown and is a dedicated leader in his community, providing professional development for the district on culturally relevant teaching, growth mindset, elements of effective lessons, belonging strategies, and supporting historically marginalized students. Smith is also an advocate for the teaching profession, committed to supporting new and future teachers by starting a Grow Your Own teacher program at Haverford Township School District.

“Educators like Leon Smith demonstrate the influence one person can have in shaping young minds by empowering, inspiring, and championing learners both in and out of the classroom,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe. “An effective educator builds coalitions of support to positively impact their entire community—not just today, but in the future. The Pennsylvania Department of Education applauds Leon Smith for this great achievement and for, once again, highlighting the excellence of Pennsylvania’s teachers on a national stage.”

Smith has spent more than two decades at the district and currently teaches AP US History and AP African American Studies. He holds a Bachelors in Secondary Social Studies Education from the University of Maryland at College Park, a Masters in Educational Leadership in Technology Integration from Pennsylvania State University, and a PK-12 Principal certification from Cabrini University.

As an educational leader, Smith strongly believes in helping all students reach their full potential. His dedication to his students goes beyond the classroom through his roles as the African American Cultural Enrichment Advisor, freshmen Boys’ Basketball Coach, and mentor. As a member of the Teach Plus National Senior Policy Cabinet, Leon will gain high-level policy skills to drive real world change supporting students and teachers nationwide.

If named National Teacher of the Year, Smith will spend the next year serving as an ambassador for education and an advocate for teachers and students across the country. He joins four other finalists, with the National Teacher of the Year being named in the spring:

• Katie Collins, Alabama Teacher of the Year, is a first grade teacher at Bluff Park Elementary in Hoover, Alabama.
• Rachel Kinsaul, Georgia Teacher of the Year, teaches agriculture at Morgan County High School in Madison, Georgia.
• Michelle Gross, Kentucky Teacher of the Year, is a seventh grade mathematics and gifted studies teacher at Spencer County Middle School in Taylorsville, Kentucky.
• Linda Wallenberg, Minnesota Teacher of the Year, is a ninth through 12th grade English teacher at Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

“I am honored to join this amazing group of finalists as the representative from Pennsylvania for the 2026 National Teacher of the Year award,” said Leon Smith. “I am grateful to my family, friends, students (past and present), administrators, mentors, and the Haverford Township community who have supported me along the way.”