About NNSTOY
The National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY) is a network of State Teachers of the Year and Finalists who use our teacher leadership to ensure that every student receives an outstanding education. We do this through our focus on professional practice, policy and advocacy.
Professional Practice. We devote our time, resources and expertise on strengthening our own practice and that of colleagues. We do this through mentoring, coaching, sharing, and offering professional learning in teacher leadership and through NNSTOY fellowships.
Policy. We work with policymakers, influencers and education administrators to promote the conditions, capacity and culture needed to support great teaching and learning.
Advocacy. We seek to involve the nation's outstanding educators in decisions that affect teaching and learning. We advocate for critical reforms that improve learning for all students, especially those who are most at risk.
Our Mission and Vision is for all students to learn from highly effective teachers. NNSTOY seeks to improve student learning across the nation by defining, sharing and advocating for effective teaching practices and policies.
1. We believe that in order for teachers to more fully carry out their capacity as leaders, the teaching profession needs supportive structural changes which exist in other professions, including Professional Career Continuums, Distributed Leadership, Collaborative Practice, Actionable Feedback, and Guiding Principles.
2. We work to provide a platform upon which the voices of our nation’s most recognized teachers are heard by policy makers and the public.
3. We are committed to a strong research agenda in which teacher researchers collaborate with scientists and our partners to design, carry out, and publish the findings of models and effective practices of teacher leadership and career advancement opportunities.
4. We provide a community where educators can share and engage in discussion of best practices, professional development, and education policy.
NNSTOY recently refreshed our Strategic Plan in 2015! Click here to read the Strategic Plan Refresh.
NNSTOY’s Strategic Plan focuses on two key goals as defined in our Theory of Change:
1. Transform active teachers’ roles, responsibilities and compensation to attract and retain highly effective teachers.
2. Become a trusted voice representing highly effective teachers to advance the new vision of the teaching profession.
NNSTOY's original Strategic Plan can be found here.
In addition to our program work, NNSTOY publishes research, provides professional learning in teacher leadership, and offers webinars which are open to educators nationwide.