From Pennsylvania Department of Education, Governor Mifflin School District
On Friday, May 16, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) applauded the 12 Pennsylvania educators who are in the running to be named the Commonwealth’s 2026 Teacher of the Year.
“Ask anyone if they remember the teacher who inspired them most, and nearly everyone will immediately smile and name an educator from their past,” said Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe. “Excellent educators make a lifelong impact on the learners they serve each day in classrooms across the Commonwealth, and these 12 finalists demonstrate the qualities needed in a great teacher—supportive, engaged, and passionate about the learners in their care.”
The 12 finalists are:
- Whitney Bellomo, Dallastown Area School District, York County
- Nicole Birkbeck, Council Rock School District, Bucks County
- Katherine Blandino-Nienhuls, Pittsburgh Public School District, Allegheny County
- Renee Decker, Central York School District, York County
- Madeline Loring, Jefferson-Morgan School District, Jefferson County
- Jenna Love, Elizabethtown Area School District, Lancaster County
- Jennifer Nesser, Laurel Highlands School District, Fayette County
- Ashley Oldham, Big Spring School District, Cumberland County
- Andrea Rutledge, Hempfield School District, Lancaster County
- Rachel Sebastian, Governor Mifflin School District, Berks County
- Rebecca Showalter, Mount Lebanon School District, Allegheny County
- Elizabeth Troxell, Penns Valley Area School District, Centre County
Rachel Sebastian, Governor Mifflin School District, Berks County
So many congratulations are in order for Mrs. Rachel Sebastian of Brecknock Elementary! Mrs. Sebastian is officially one of just 12 finalists for Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year—the only candidate representing Berks County!
Mrs. Sebastian serves as a librarian in our district, but her influence does not stop at the bookshelf! Her influence is felt throughout all of Brecknock Elementary and the broader community, thanks to her innovative teaching style that brings our local community into the classroom.
Some of her signature initiatives include BookBeasts, a student-led trading card series designed to boost literacy and exploration of genre in the library; the Thanks-for-Giving Parade, a school-wide research project of local nonprofits culminating in a parade; and, most recently, the Brecknock Business Symposium, a project in which students partnered with local business leaders and the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA) to learn about their impact on the local economy and construct a fictional business modeled around the company which they studied.
For Sebastian, authentic learning experiences such as these aren’t just enjoyable, but also crucial to building community partnerships and future-ready students who readily pursue their passions, purpose, and path.
“We are preparing our students to be leaders in all communities, be it locally, nationally, or globally,” said Sebastian. “Experiential learning creates symbiotic community relationships, opening up young learners to new careers and new ideas about how to serve and strengthen their community. I believe that connecting young people to all types of community stakeholders in order to develop them as ‘solutionaries’ who are and will continue to creatively innovate our world.”
We are so incredibly proud to have Mrs. Sebastian as part of #MustangNation. Congratulations, this is so well deserved, and we are rooting for you all the way!
About The National State Teacher of the Year Program
Pennsylvania’s 2026 Teacher of the Year will be announced at a state awards ceremony in early December 2025 and will represent the Commonwealth at various local, regional, and national functions culminating in the National Teacher of the Year ceremony at the White House.
Through the National State Teacher of the Year (NSTOY) program, PDE identifies and honors exemplary teaching and classroom practices across the Commonwealth. NSTOY annually recognizes a professional who inspires students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn; who has the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues; and who plays an active and useful role in both school and community.
The 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, named last December at PDE’s SAS Institute, was Leon Smith, a secondary teacher at Haverford High School in the Haverford Township School District in Havertown. He has spent 22 years at the district and teaches 9th-grade Honors and Advanced Placement Social Studies, as well as 10th- through 12th-grade African American Studies. Mr. Smith holds a bachelor’s in secondary social studies education from the University of Maryland at College Park, a master’s in educational leadership in technology integration from Pennsylvania State University, and a PK-12 principal certification from Cabrini University.
Last month, the 2024 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, Ashlie Crosson, was named the National Teacher of the Year—the first-ever Pennsylvanian to receive that honor. Crosson teaches Grade 10 English, AP Language, and Composition at Mifflin County High School in the Mifflin County School District in Lewistown.
Learn more about Pennsylvania’s Teacher of the Year program on PDE’s website.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education, please visit the website or follow PDE on Facebook, X, Pinterest, or YouTube.
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Source: bctv