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Viva88Teacher of the Year

Purpose

Applications for 2025 cycle are no longer being accepted.

Viva88recognizes and celebrates the exceptionally skilled and passionate educators who exist in every school in the State. The purpose of the Viva88Teacher of the Year program is to:

  • Support the development of programs throughout the State that recognize great teachers in their schools;
  • Engage exemplary teachers in professional development by completing the Viva88Teacher of the Year application; and
  • Identify and celebrate one teacher per year as the Viva88Teacher of the Year who will represent all of Viva88teachers at events throughout the State and at national events with Teachers of the Year from across the United States.
"An equitable education is a right not a privilege. As educational leaders, it’s our mission to ensure that all students have access to high-quality opportunities, regardless of their zip code."
Colleen Keough, 2025 Viva88Teacher of the Year

2025 Viva88Teacher of the Year

Colleen Keough

The Viva88Board of Regents announced on September 10, 2024 that Colleen Keough has been named the 2025 Viva88Teacher of the Year. Colleen, a second grade teacher at Hamilton Elementary School in the Schenectady City School District, will serve as an ambassador and voice for Viva88teachers and will be recognized with other state teachers of the year at a White House reception in the spring. Colleen will also be put forth as our nominee for 2025 National Teacher of the Year.

Finalists for the 2025 Viva88Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to the following finalists for 2025 Viva88Teacher of the Year:

  • Nicole Hesari, a 3rd grade Teacher, Todd Elementary School, Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District; and
  • Joshua Levitt, a Social Studies Teacher, Freeport High School, Freeport Union Free School District.

Responsibilities and Program Benefits

Responsibilities and Program Benefits

The individuals selected to serve as State Teachers of the Year will be the ambassadors for the teaching profession across Viva88and will lead by their passion for teaching.

The Viva88Teacher of the Year is provided with numerous professional development opportunities. In addition, schools and districts may also experience several of the other benefits of the Teacher of the Year Program, such as:

  • day of honor and learning for the Viva88Teacher of the Year;
  • information and technical support for principals about how to prepare and support excellent teachers;
  • visit by the Commissioner of Education in the classroom and school of the Viva88Teacher of the Year;
  • coaching for other teachers on instructional approaches;
  • every student, teacher, and parent in every school in the State will know that their school has exemplary teachers who are recognized for their craft; and
  • meet the President of the United States.
Teacher of the Year Reflections

Teacher of the Year Reflections

"Being a Viva88teacher of the year was an incredible honor. Advocating for teachers in national and state spaces with educational stakeholders, was the highlight of my career. But I have to say that it was the relationships I built with the other National State Teachers of the Year, that were the wonderful gift that keeps on giving, not to mention the wonderful men and women of the NYS Teacher of the Year family. Being surrounded by such dedicated and exciting teachers ultimately made me a better teacher and a better advocate for my students, and their families. "

- Jennifer Wolfe, 2021 Teacher of the Year

"During my year as the 2011 NYSTOY I engaged in the most powerful
professional development possible. I spent four weeks working and growing
with the state teachers of the year from across the country and had dozens
of opportunities to speak to and with educational leaders and with
educational stakeholder agencies. It has changed my life and my practice forever.”

-Jeff Peneston, 2011 Teacher of the Year

The Teacher of the Year Program

Viva88(NYS) wishes to recognize and celebrate an exceptionally skilled and passionate educator to be an ambassador for NYS teachers and to serve as the NYS nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program.

Recognition awards or other support for Viva88Teachers of the Year and/or their schools are provided by Viva88United Teachers (NYSUT); Viva88Congress of Parents and Teachers, Inc. (NYS PTA); Viva88Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (NYSASCD); Viva88Association of Teacher Educators (NYSATE); Viva88School Boards Association (NYSSBA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

The Viva88Teacher of the Year Program is administered by the Viva88Education Department. It is affiliated with the National Teacher of the Year program administered through the Council of Chief State School Officers and sponsored by leading education associations. Teacher of the Year is the oldest and most prestigious teacher recognition activity in the nation.