Some Kids Dare You to Teach Them
"Every teacher gets a moment when they face one kid or a hundred kids just like Damion. It's in these moments your core beliefs are challenged and revealed. Do you believe that every kid can achieve? Do you believe that you as an educator have the power to make that happen for ALL kids, including the kids of color, poor kids, and those living in very difficult circumstances? "
When White Teachers Avoid Conversations About Race, We Marginalize Students of Color
"When you teach in a predominantly White community, conversations about race can be uncomfortable, even in professional settings. Educators are not just unsure of how to talk about the race of students, they often question the necessity of having the conversation."
Someone Like Me: How One State Teacher of the Year Moved from Bias to Equity Literacy
"

"It was my responsibility to acknowledge the impact of my action and make intentional efforts to provide a counter narrative not only for Mohamed, but to every child in my classroom."

Rebecca Eunmi Haslam, Vermont 2015
Learning with Students from Other Cultures Is a Key to Progress in Our Global Society
"The key is to keep empathy, compassion and the best parts of humanity at the heart of our education system while still ensuring the learning in our schools reflects the technological realities outside them."
To achieve equity in my classroom, I had to check my own bias at the door
"To achieve educational equity, we must begin by eliminating bias. We can't pretend it doesn't exist. I lost count of how often I heard the phrase "These kids can't ..." You can fill in the blank with myriad responses such as "read complex text, solve multi-step math problems, or participate in hands-on science experiments because they might not behave!"
Courageous Conversations About Race in Schools
NNSTOY introduces a new video series to help schools and communities have better, more authentic conversations about racial equity in schools.
I Failed Many Times Along the Path to Teacher Leadership
"Even now, when I think about my journey to leadership my eyes tear up because it was not an easy road. I had to face my fears, take rejection, and push myself to do and learn more. I learned to go for my dreams, accept failure and refuse to accept ”No.”
When Quitting Means Persisting
By Michael Dunlea

"Often teachers will give and give to a point where it becomes unhealthy, taking us away from our own families or our personal lives... This tendency to overcommit ourselves can be exploited by schools and districts under pressure to perform and reach ever higher achievement with fewer resources."
Working with young people means I get to witness small acts of humanity all the time
"Sometimes, 15-year-olds have a hard time understanding why working together and being nice matter to their schoolwork. But backstage, as everything threatened to collapse, I saw my students taking the risk to truly demonstrate compassionate collaboration. Not for a grade, not because anyone was watching, but because they are amazing human beings with a boundless capacity for love."

The NNSTOY Resource Library is a collection of research reports, policy briefs, white papers, and other powerful documents that focus on today’s key topics in education. Browse our virtual library and review the topics that interest you.

The Board of Directors is responsible for providing direction to and overseeing the affairs of the NNSTOY in the interests of the membership. It consists of State Techers of the Year and other professionals.

Member Blog

March 11, 2018 By David Bosso As a White man I can recall only a few times in my life when I have been viscerally aware of the color of my skin. The first was when I visited the Bahamas with my college roommate, who had grown up there. I was uncomfortably

Peggy Allan, Illinois State Teacher of the Year 1989

Practice

1989 Illinois Teacher of the Year

Dr. Peggy Allan is the 1989 Illinois State Teacher of the Year. A dedicated teacher of English/Language, Social Studies, Gifted Grade(s): 7-8... read more

Tweets by @NNSTOY

Current Education News

In a Flash Poll conducted June 6-17, 2016, members of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year indicated that states and districts are doing little to engage them around the new Every Student Succeeds Act, as required by law. Data from... read more

NNSTOY News

Current News Melody Arabo (Minnesota 2015) co-authored a report recently released by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, The Right Tool for the Job: Improving Reading and Writing in the Classroom. Mike Soskil's (Pennsylvania 2017) article... read more

Teachers Leading Discussion Forum

We would like to invite you to join the conversation on our Teachers Leading discussion forum. There is great conversation throughout the year about great teaching.

NNSTOY Video Series

Joellen Killion, Senior Advisor, Learning Forward

“Teacher leadership is an untapped resource in schools. Teacher leaders engage their peers in collaborative inquiry to build a culture of continuous improvement and collective responsibility in which they work together to increase student achievement. In addition, teacher leaders serve as advocates of equitable education for the success of each student and community-wide support for public education and the professionalization of teaching.”

Menu

Some Kids Dare You to Teach Them

When White Teachers Avoid Conversations About Race, We Marginalize Students of Color

"When you teach in a predominantly White community, conversations about race can be uncomfortable, even in professional settings. Educators are not just unsure of how to talk about the race of students, they often question the necessity of having the conversation."

Someone Like Me: How One State Teacher of the Year Moved from Bias to Equity Literacy

"

"It was my responsibility to acknowledge the impact of my action and make intentional efforts to provide a counter narrative not only for Mohamed, but to every child in my classroom."

Rebecca Eunmi Haslam, Vermont 2015

Learning with Students from Other Cultures Is a Key to Progress in Our Global Society

"The key is to keep empathy, compassion and the best parts of humanity at the heart of our education system while still ensuring the learning in our schools reflects the technological realities outside them."

To achieve equity in my classroom, I had to check my own bias at the door

Courageous Conversations About Race in Schools

NNSTOY introduces a new video series to help schools and communities have better, more authentic conversations about racial equity in schools.

I Failed Many Times Along the Path to Teacher Leadership

"Even now, when I think about my journey to leadership my eyes tear up because it was not an easy road. I had to face my fears, take rejection, and push myself to do and learn more. I learned to go for my dreams, accept failure and refuse to accept ”No.”

When Quitting Means Persisting

Working with young people means I get to witness small acts of humanity all the time

Resources

NNSTOY Board of Directors

Member Blog

Peggy Allan, Illinois State Teacher of the Year 1989

Practice

1989 Illinois Teacher of the Year

Current Education News

NNSTOY News

Teachers Leading Discussion Forum

NNSTOY Video Series

Joellen Killion, Senior Advisor, Learning Forward

Menu

Some Kids Dare You to Teach Them

When White Teachers Avoid Conversations About Race, We Marginalize Students of Color

"When you teach in a predominantly White community, conversations about race can be uncomfortable, even in professional settings. Educators are not just unsure of how to talk about the race of students, they often question the necessity of having the conversation."

Someone Like Me: How One State Teacher of the Year Moved from Bias to Equity Literacy

" "It was my responsibility to acknowledge the impact of my action and make intentional efforts to provide a counter narrative not only for Mohamed, but to every child in my classroom." Rebecca Eunmi Haslam, Vermont 2015

Learning with Students from Other Cultures Is a Key to Progress in Our Global Society

"The key is to keep empathy, compassion and the best parts of humanity at the heart of our education system while still ensuring the learning in our schools reflects the technological realities outside them."

To achieve equity in my classroom, I had to check my own bias at the door

Courageous Conversations About Race in Schools

NNSTOY introduces a new video series to help schools and communities have better, more authentic conversations about racial equity in schools.

I Failed Many Times Along the Path to Teacher Leadership

"Even now, when I think about my journey to leadership my eyes tear up because it was not an easy road. I had to face my fears, take rejection, and push myself to do and learn more. I learned to go for my dreams, accept failure and refuse to accept ”No.”

When Quitting Means Persisting

Working with young people means I get to witness small acts of humanity all the time

Resources

NNSTOY Board of Directors

Member Blog

Peggy Allan, Illinois State Teacher of the Year 1989

Practice

1989 Illinois Teacher of the Year

Current Education News

NNSTOY News

Teachers Leading Discussion Forum

NNSTOY Video Series

Joellen Killion, Senior Advisor, Learning Forward

"

"It was my responsibility to acknowledge the impact of my action and make intentional efforts to provide a counter narrative not only for Mohamed, but to every child in my classroom."

Rebecca Eunmi Haslam, Vermont 2015