Washington, D.C., January 29, 2026—Teach Plus congratulates Pennsylvania high school social studies teacher and PA Policy Fellowship alumnus Leon Smith on his selection as a 2026 National Teacher of the Year finalist. Smith, who is also a senior member of Teach Plus’s National Teacher Policy Cabinet and Teach Plus Pennsylvania advisory board member, is one of five finalists selected from state Teachers of the Year nationwide.
“Leon is exactly the kind of teacher every student in the country needs—brilliant in the classroom and effective as a teacher leader advising on policies students and the teaching profession need,” said Teach Plus CEO Kira Orange Jones. “His selection as a National Teacher of the Year finalist recognizes not just his teaching, but his leadership. He’s changing what’s possible for students in Pennsylvania and serving as a model for scalable teacher leadership nationwide.”
“As a teacher and an advocate, Leon exemplifies the concepts of servant leadership and lifting as he climbs,” said Teach Plus Pennsylvania Executive Director Laura Boyce. “During his time as a Teach Plus Pennsylvania Policy Fellow, Senior Policy Fellow, and Board Member, he has elevated the profession by successfully advocating for new pathways into teaching for youth and paraprofessionals, Pennsylvania’s new student teacher stipend program, and models to reimagine the teaching role. Leon’s commitment to advancing opportunity for his students through both great teaching and systems change make this recognition wholly deserved.”
“As a National Teacher Policy Cabinet member, Leon has advanced change at the federal level by uplifting his colleagues’ and students’ voices, meeting with Congressional lawmakers and staff to promote student opportunity and federal investment in teacher preparation and retention programs,” said Ramón Carranza, Jr., Teach Plus Vice President of Federal Policy. “His selection as a 2026 National Teacher of the Year finalist is a testament to his commitment to creating an environment where all students feel a sense of belonging. Leon is the epitome of an inspirational leader, advocating for students across Pennsylvania and nationally.”
“I feel blessed to receive such a prestigious recognition and be in community with outstanding educators from all over the nation,” said Leon Smith, who teaches high school social studies in Haverford Township School District. “Teach Plus opened my eyes to the positive impact teachers can have outside of the classroom through advocating for policies that create environments where all students can thrive.”
Smith has spent his career opening doors for others. At Haverford High School, he helped create a Grow Your Own program that builds pathways into teaching for students and paraprofessionals. He’s a founding board member of Mirrors in Education, a nonprofit working to recruit and retain educators of color in Pennsylvania, and has mentored emerging teachers through Project IMPACT since 2020.
If named National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers later this spring, Leon will spend the next year serving as an ambassador for education and an advocate for teachers and students across the country. The other finalists hail from Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Minnesota. Read his bio and application here.
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. 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/
