Washington, D.C. March 25, 2026—Teach Plus, a national nonprofit that empowers teachers to lead student-centered improvements in educational policy and instructional practice, has named 18 educators from around the country to its highly selective 2026 National Teacher Policy Cabinet (NTPC).
The induction of the fourth National Teacher Policy Cabinet cohort marks an important milestone for Teach Plus as it welcomes one of its most representative cohorts of teacher leaders to date. During the nine-month leadership program, cabinet members will engage directly with federal policymakers, share classroom-informed policy insights, and champion education policies that support students, teachers, families, and communities.
“From a National Teacher of the Year finalist, Presidential awardees, to pioneers in AI and special education, the 2026 National Teacher Policy Cabinet is shaped by excellence and a deep commitment to students,” said Teach Plus CEO Kira Orange Jones. “This Cabinet is uniquely positioned to partner with Congress to promote the future of a reimagined profession that truly attracts, retains, and honors brilliant teachers. I am confident that the voices of these 18 teacher leaders will be the catalyst for the student-centered policy shifts that our country needs.”
“After 14 years in the classroom and nearly a decade of working on efforts to retain excellent educators, I’m excited to keep building on what’s worked and scaling those successes at the federal level,” said Melina Recio, Executive Cabinet Member and 2019 Secondary Teacher of the Year for McAllen Independent School District in Texas. “I care deeply about making sure policy actually works for the people it affects most—students and teachers–and that is why I am looking forward to Teach Plus’s continued collaboration and partnership with Congress.”
The NTPC members hail from Teach Plus regions—Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Texas—as well as those from Louisiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and South Carolina.
The 2026 National Teacher Policy Cabinet Members are:
- Cara Maxwell, Arkansas – Grade/Subject: Pre-Kindergarten – Distinctions: Teacher of the Year for LC Knapp Elementary in Springdale (2024), Senior Fellow, Teach Plus Arkansas Policy Fellow (2022-2025)
- Calvin Epps, Illinois – Grade/Subject: High School Special Education Mathematics Instructor – Distinctions: Alumni Council for the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Teach Plus Illinois Policy Fellow (2025)
- Keisha Harris, Louisiana – Grade/Subject: 7th-Grade Mathematics – Distinctions: Compass Rose Public Schools Network Team Member of the Year (2023), Education and Classroom Lead with Leadership Initiative at Georgetown University
- Jevons Liu, Maryland – Grade/Subject: High School Mathematics and Special Education – Distinctions: Baltimore City Public Schools Teacher of the Year (2025), Grosvenor Teacher Fellow with National Geographic Society and Lindblad Expeditions (2025)
- Danielle Jo White Yelito, Massachusetts – Grade/Subject: High School Science – Distinctions: Science Lab Communications Ambassador (2026), Teach Plus Massachusetts Policy Fellow (2025)
- Elizabeth Maxcey, Mississippi – Grade/Subject: High School Special Education – Distinctions: Inaugural “Bridge to Careers” Teacher, Teach Plus Mississippi Policy Fellow (2026)
- Sharon Collins, New York – Grade/Subject: High School Mathematics – Distinctions: Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) (2023), Inaugural STEAM Coordinator
- Jordan Vogel, North Carolina – Grade/Subject: K-12 Special Education – Distinctions: School Improvement Team and Faculty Advisory Committee Member
- Carolyn Breedlove, Oregon – Grade/Subject: K-5 Special Education Teacher Leader – Distinctions: Innovative Use of AI to Support Exceptional Students Award by the Council of Exceptional Children (2025), National Education Association’s Envision Equity Grant (2026)
- Reneé Atkinson, South Carolina – Grade/Subject: High School English Language Arts – Distinctions: Horry County Schools Teacher of the Year (2023), South Carolina Teacher of the Year (2024)
The 2026 National Teacher Policy Cabinet Senior Members are:
- Taylor Spieker, Montana – Grade/Subject: High School Multilingual Educator – Distinctions: Member of the Multilingual Learner Leadership Team
- Leon Smith, Pennsylvania – Grade/Subject: High School Social Studies – Distinctions: 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, 2026 National Teacher of the Year Finalist
The 2026 National Teacher Policy Cabinet Executive Members are:
- Tess Carlson, California – Grade/Subject: High School Science – Distinctions: 2026 Science Lab Communications Ambassador, Knowles Teaching Fellow (2020-2025)
- Lorelei Jackson, Colorado – Grade/Subject: K-8 Special Education Specialist – Distinctions: Colorado League of Charter Schools Hall of Fame Advocate of the Year finalist (2024-25 & 2025-26), Bipartisan Policy Center Teacher Advisory Cohort (2026)
- Steve Dull, Indiana – Grade/Subject: High School Mathematics – Distinctions: Education Finance Recipient through the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy (2025), School City of Hammond’s Teaching and Learning League Member
- Frances Lazette, Michigan – Grade/Subject: Middle School U.S. History and French – Distinctions: Teach Plus Teacher-in-Residence, Teach Plus Michigan Policy Fellow (2021)
- Emma Muth, Nevada – Grade/Subject: Second Grade – Distinctions: Bipartisan Policy Center Teacher Advisory Cohort (2026), Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award, Indonesia (2019)
- Melina Recio, Texas – Grade/Subject: 10th and 11th Grade Pre-AP English II and AP Language and Composition – Distinctions: Education Finance Recipient through the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy (2025), Secondary Teacher of the Year for McAllen ISD (2019)
About Teach Plus
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. In pursuing our mission, Teach Plus is guided by our Student Opportunity Mandate: to act boldly and create the conditions where every student can imagine their future—and experience an education that delivers the opportunity to realize it. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning for students. Teachplus.org
