CCSSO Announces Finalists for 2026 National Teacher of the Year
Washington, D.C. (January 27, 2026) – The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) today announced that five inspiring educators from across the country are finalists for the 2026 National Teacher of the Year.
CCSSO runs the National Teacher of the Year Program with Google for Education as the lead sponsor. Each year, states, U.S. extra-state territories, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity select outstanding educators to serve as State Teachers of the Year.
From a cohort of 56 State Teachers of the Year, the National Teacher of the Year Selection Committee, comprising 15 individuals and education organizations, selected the finalists based on applications.
This year’s finalists are:
Katie Collins, the 2026 Alabama Teacher of the Year, is a first grade teacher at Bluff Park Elementary in Hoover, Alabama. Collins’ Teacher of the Year bio and application are available here.
Rachel Kinsaul, the 2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year, teaches agriculture at Morgan County High School in Madison, Georgia. Kinsaul’s Teacher of the Year bio and application are available here.
Michelle Gross, the 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, is a seventh grade mathematics and gifted studies teacher at Spencer County Middle School in Taylorsville, Kentucky. Gross’ Teacher of the Year bio and application are available here.
Linda Wallenberg, the 2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, is a ninth through 12th grade English teacher at Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Wallenberg’s Teacher of the Year bio and application are available here.
Leon Smith, the 2026 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, is an Advanced Placement U.S. history and Advanced Placement African American studies teacher at Haverford High School in Havertown, Pennsylvania. Smith’s Teacher of the Year bio and application are available here.
“I congratulate these finalists for their outstanding commitment to education and impactful teaching that advances student outcomes,” said CCSSO Chief Executive Officer Carissa Moffat Miller. “Thank you to the Selection Committee for their work selecting these finalists.”
The finalists will next travel to D.C. and interview with the National Teacher of the Year Selection Committee, and CCSSO will announce the 2026 National Teacher of the Year this spring. The 2026 National Teacher of the Year will spend a year serving as an ambassador for education and uplifting the teaching profession.
“The 2026 National Teacher of the Year finalists exemplify the highest teaching standards, empowering students to be future problem solvers through project-based learning and community collaboration,” the Selection Committee said. “Their work is rigorous and intentional, embodying everything you want to see in a finalist.”
CCSSO’s National Teacher of the Year Program honors exceptional teachers across the country, identified by their states and territories as teachers of the year. Each year, CCSSO provides a new cohort of State Teachers of the Year with a yearlong, one-of-a-kind professional learning and development experience. Our robust program was designed to increase inspiring educators' leadership skills while celebrating their talents and commitment as extraordinary teachers.
More information about the 2026 State Teachers of the Year and CCSSO’s National Teacher of the Year Program is available at ntoy.ccsso.org.
Special thanks to the National Teacher of the Year Program sponsors:
Lead Sponsor: Google for Education
Platinum: Cambium Assessment, Curriculum Associates, Data Recognition Corporation and Pearson
Gold: American Institutes Research, AMIRA Learning, Cognia, ETS, HMH and NWEA, Maxwell Leadership, MetaMetrics, Smarter Balanced, Voya, WestEd, WIDA (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Zearn.
Supporters: College Football Playoff Foundation, Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, Smithsonian, Space Camp and TEDEd.
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The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, Bureau of Indian Education and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress and the public.