2025 Nebraska Teacher of the Year

Nominations for the 2025 Nebraska Teacher of the Year Are Now Open

Nebraska has amazing teachers and being able to recognize their excellence is one of the highlights of the year.  The Nebraska Department of Education is proud to provide an opportunity to recognize the best teachers in the state through the Nebraska Teacher of the Year Program. Do you know a teacher that should be our next Teacher of the Year?  Please take a moment to submit a nomination at this link.

Duties of the Nebraska Teacher of the Year:

The Nebraska Teacher of the Year’s duties will be extensive. The selected candidate will maintain a regular teaching schedule while also fulfilling the duties of the Teacher of the Year position. Some highlights of the Nebraska Teacher of the Year may include:

Participating in the National Teacher of the Year Program as a representative of Nebraska (a year of professional learning through the National Teacher of the Year Program with a cohort of State Teachers of the Year from the 50 states, U.S. extra-state jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity);

Speaking at various engagements across the state – Administrators’ Days conference, Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association (NRCSA) conference; Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA) Delegate Assembly and others;

Participating in workshops and local school programs across the state;

Participating in the Council of Chief State School Officer (CCSSO) National Teacher of the Year (NTOY) Program Induction at a location to be determined at this time (this conference is approximately one week);

Participating in the National Teacher of the Year Washington Recognition Week (this event is held in Washington, DC and includes a Recognition Ceremony for the National Teacher of the Year (this event is approximately one week);

Participating in International Space Camp in Huntsville, AL (this event is approximately one week);

Participating in the ECS National Forum on Education Policy at a location to be determined at this time (this event is approximately three days); and

Participating in the National Teacher of the Year Program Next Steps Conference in Princeton, NJ (this event is approximately one week).

Application:

The Nebraska Awards of Excellence Program, which features selection of the Nebraska Teacher of the Year, serves to recognize the contributions of the classroom teacher. Candidates must be exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled teachers; have the respect and admiration of parents, colleagues, and students; play active and useful roles in the community as well as in the school; be poised and articulate; and possess the energy to withstand a busy schedule. The most important criterion is a superior ability to inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn.

The Nebraska Application Review Committee examines all applications submitted and selects up to five Award of Excellence Teachers. Each of the Award of Excellence Teachers will be interviewed to determine the Nebraska Teacher of the Year, who will be eligible for consideration as the National Teacher of the Year.

Application Guidelines:

Certified teachers, who plan to continue in an active teacher status in a state-approved or accredited school pre-kindergarten through grade 12, may be nominated. Supervisory and administrative responsibilities are secondary considerations.

Whether nominated by someone else or applying directly for the honor, each candidate must personally complete the application form. All answers must be in the teacher’s own words.

Those individuals interested in nominating a teacher will complete and submit the nomination form.  The teacher will then receive the Teacher of the Year application to be completed and submitted.   Candidates do not need to be nominated to complete the application.

Although the selection committee will consider all items on the application, effective classroom teaching and the capability to inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn are the most important qualifications.

The Application Review Panel and the Interview Panel want to see the candidates teaching strategies and how he or she effectively communicates with students.

We recommend having all materials ready (resume, references, and written lesson plan) before starting the online application. You will be able to return to an incomplete application, but you will not be able to proceed with the application until each section is completed.