Oklahoma Teacher of the Year

The Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Program is coordinated through the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ryan Walters. The program is in conjunction with the National Teacher of the Year Program sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers.

The 2024 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year will be announced in March 2024 and will travel Oklahoma as an ambassador for teachers during the 2024-2025 school year.

If you have any questions regarding the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year process; please contact:

teacheroftheyear@sde.ok.gov

• General Qualifications
• • Selection Process
  • Local District Selection Process
  • Regional Selection Committees
  • State Selection Committee
• Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Recognition
• Edward C. Joullian III Scholarship
• Oklahoma’s Past Teachers of the Year
• Contact Information

General Qualifications

All Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 classroom teachers in state-accredited schools is eligible for nomination. It is important that every teacher is given the opportunity to participate in this recognition process. No minimum years of teaching experience are required to be qualified for Oklahoma Teacher of the Year.

Nominees should be exceptionally skillful and dedicated classroom teachers who are planning to continue in an active teaching status. According to the director of the National Teacher of the Year Program, a classroom teacher is one who teaches a group of students every day within the confines of the classroom and does not have administrative duties. Nominees should communicate effectively and demonstrate creative and imaginative teaching on a day-to-day basis. The nominee should have the ability to inspire the value of learning in students of all backgrounds and abilities and assure academic success. Nominations should be made without regard to age, sex, race, or religion.

Selection Process

At the local district level, the Teacher of the Year program is coordinated through the district superintendent. It is the responsibility of the district superintendent to make sure that every teacher is given the opportunity to participate in the recognition process. It is important to emphasize that the search is not for “the best teacher,” but for one who exemplifies the finest in the profession.

Local District Selection Process

The local school district determines the local selection process and announces the local Teacher of the Year.

Regional Selection Committee

The regional selection committee will evaluate the applications that have been submitted by local Teachers of the Year and select twelve finalists to continue on to the State Selection Committee.

State Selection Committee

The state selection committee will follow procedures identified below for each of the twelve finalists to select the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year.

• Conduct an interview
• View a digital video file of classroom teaching. Finalists will partner with the OSDE videographer to create a short video that will document highlights of their classroom instructional methods.
• Recommend the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year to the State Superintendent

Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Recognition

The Oklahoma Teacher of the Year serves as Oklahoma Ambassador of Teaching, representing Oklahoma in the national competition by sharing knowledge and resources with fellow educators around the state and encouraging education as a profession.

Edward C. Joullian III Scholarship

The $5,000 scholarship is awarded to a high school senior in the current Oklahoma Teacher of the Year’s district.

The Oklahoma State Fair Board established the Edward C. Joullian III $5,000 Scholarship to be awarded to a high school senior in the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year’s school district. The scholarship winner is announced at the Oklahoma State Fair. This scholarship was established to encourage students to continue their education, recognize the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year’s school district, and celebrate the contributions of Mr. Joullian to the lives of Oklahoma’s young people.