Hershey, Pennsylvania, December 9, 2024—Teach Plus Pennsylvania congratulates Leon Smith, who teaches high school social studies in Haverford Township School District, on being named the 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. He was a Teach Plus PA 2022-23 Policy Fellow (selected by his peers as Fellow of the Year), a 2023-24 Senior Policy Fellow, and is an inaugural Regional Advisory Board member.
“As a teacher and an advocate, Leon exemplifies the concepts of servant leadership and lifting as he climbs. Drawing inspiration from great Black educators from his own family and throughout history, he has committed himself to inspiring the next generation of great teachers and ensuring great educational opportunities and environments for all backgrounds. His humble, steady leadership has inspired students, colleagues, and policymakers to aim higher,” said Laura Boyce, Teach Plus Pennsylvania Executive Director.
As a Teach Plus Pennsylvania Policy Fellow and Senior Policy Fellow, Leon has been a vocal advocate for expanding and diversifying the teaching profession, creating grow-your-own programs, supporting teachers of color through affinity groups, and elevating the prestige of the teaching profession. He has helped win legislative support for the student teacher stipend program and educator workforce data collection, and has also partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Education to create and expand youth pathways into teaching.
“Teach Plus has prepared me to advocate for policies and practices that advance equity, opportunity, and student success. A highly qualified and effective teacher can change the trajectory of someone’s life for the better. Unfortunately, the number of teachers entering the profession has decreased significantly in the past decade and teacher turnover is at an all-time high. The shortage is especially evident among teachers of color. I hope to use this platform to inspire and create pathways for more people to enter our wonderful profession,” said Leon Smith.
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: All students should have the opportunity to achieve their potential in an education system defined by its commitment to equity, its responsiveness to individual needs, and its ability to prepare students for postsecondary success. 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/pa
