Roanoke County educator named as 2026 ‘Virginia Teacher of the Year'
ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) – On May 7, a Roanoke County high school teacher was named as the 2026 Virginia Teacher of the Year.
'Teachers shape the future, inspire excellence, and create an environment where students can thrive,' said Governor Glenn Youngkin. 'Congratulations to Matthew Neale! Virginia's future is brighter because of your commitment and dedication to your students.'
During a ceremony Wednesday on Capitol Square in Richmond, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that Roanoke County Public Schools teacher, Matthew Neale, was awarded by the selection committee as the 2026 Region 6 Teacher of the Year for 'excellence in the classroom and leadership in the education community.'
(Photo Credit: Roanoke County Public Schools)
'Matthew Neale is a passionate advocate for students and displays a relentless commitment to excellence in and out of the classroom,' said Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Emily Anne Gullickson. 'He will continue to be an excellent ambassador for the profession throughout his career.'
Roanoke County Schools names 2025 Golden Apple Teacher of the Year
Matthew Neale has been an educator for over 20 years and has been teaching at Hidden Valley High School in Roanoke County for 14 years.
(Photo Credit: Roanoke County Public Schools)
Before moving to Southwest Virginia, he practiced law and now has a 'desire to make a difference' after 'he discovered that teaching was a life-changing calling.'
'Teaching is one of the most noble and challenging professions there is. I am incredibly honored to be named Virginia's Teacher of the Year, but even more proud to stand alongside so many amazing teachers across the State, and most of all, grateful for the amazing students who make this job so rewarding.' said 2026 Virginia Teacher of the Year winner Matthew Neale.
Known by his students for his 'ASK' philosophy, Neale has also revitalized the Hidden Valley High School journalism program by mentoring students in writing, reporting, and storytelling.
Neale's commitment to public service extends beyond the classroom. As a partner with the Roanoke County Prevention Council, he works with students and families, leading the school's opioid awareness initiative, and will now serve as an ambassador for the Commonwealth of Virginia in the National Teacher of the Year competition.
Roanoke County School Board stands firm on anti-bullying policy after emotional meeting
'On behalf of the Virginia Board of Education, I extend our heartfelt congratulations to Matthew Neale on this well-deserved honor,' said Virginia Board of Education President Grace Turner Creasey. 'Your passion for teaching, commitment to excellence, and dedication to your students reflect the very best of Virginia's public education system.'
Also recognized during the event:
Rachel Tate, a history teacher at Goochland High School, Goochland County Public Schools (Superintendent Region 1)
Deana Hubbell, an elementary teacher at Carrsville Elementary School, Isle of Wight County Public Schools (Superintendent Region 2)
James Eccleston, a history teacher at Gloucester High, Gloucester County Public Schools (Superintendent Region 3)
Sharon Phox, an elementary teacher at James K. Polk Elementary, Alexandria City Public School (Superintendent Region 4)
Karen Grady, an elementary teacher at A.R. Ware Elementary, Staunton City Public Schools (Superintendent Region 5)
Jeff Brown, a biology teacher at Radford High, Radford City Public Schools (Superintendent Region 7)
Charles Motter, a mathematics teacher at Cumberland Middle School, Cumberland County Public Schools (Superintendent Region 8)
The 2026 National Teacher of the Year will be announced next spring at a White House ceremony. Three previous Virginia teachers went on to be named National Teachers of the Year: Mary V. Bicouvaris, the 1989 Virginia Teacher of the Year; B. Philip Bigler, the 1998 Virginia Teacher of the Year; and Rodney A. Robinson, the 2019 Virginia Teacher of the Year.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Atlanta Public Schools announces new first day of school, 13 new principals
Summer vacation may be just a couple of weeks old, but school districts are deep into planning for the new year. Atlanta Public Schools and the Atlanta Board of Education announced an updated first day of school for the 2025-2026 school year. It will be Monday, Aug. 4. The previous date was Friday, Aug. 1. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] APS has appointed 13 new principals for the new school year, effective July 1: Gerard Latimore, Benteen Elementary School: Latimore has more than a decade of experience in education and leadership, including as an assistant principal and former instructional coach at Benteen. Heather P. Stephenson, Bolton Academy: Stephenson's more than 20 years of experience includes serving Atlanta Public Schools since 2005 in a variety of roles, including teacher, special education lead teacher and assistant principal. She is currently interim principal at Bolton Academy. Holly Brookins, Burgess-Peterson Elementary School: Brookins has more than a decade of school leadership experience. As a principal in a neighboring district, she has led her school to achieve state recognitions. Keenya Jackson, Cleveland Avenue Elementary School: Jackson's wealth of experience includes roles as a teacher, instructional coach and curriculum support teacher. She is currently an assistant principal in a neighboring school district. Chendra Dupree, Herman J. Russell West End Academy: Dupree's experience includes school and district roles, including instructional and literacy coach, as well as intervention coach. She is currently a high school principal. Langston Longley, John Lewis Invictus Academy: Longley has served Atlanta Public Schools since 2004 in a variety of roles. He's been a principal for the past 10 years. He was named Principal of the Year by Communities in Schools in 2023. Chante' Blackwell, Perkerson Elementary School: Blackwell brings a wealth of experience at the school and district levels, including as a leader support specialist and assistant principal. She is currently supporting the assessment office in a neighboring district. Lami Ojezua, Scott Elementary School: Ojezua joined APS in 2007 and served in numerous roles, including continuous improvement coordinator, assistant principal, and most recently, interim principal. Stacey Welsh Perot, Smith Elementary School: Perot has three decades of education experience, including teaching, instructional leadership and school administration. She's a former 'Teacher of the Year' and currently a principal at Garden Hills Elementary. Phillip Braziel, South Atlanta High School: Braziel has been a classroom teacher, master scheduler, and assistant principal. He has been previously nominated for Assistant Principal of the Year and previously honored as a Teacher of the Year. Octavius Harris, Therrell High School: Harris has severed in multiple roles within APS, including teacher, assistant principal and principal. He's currently a principal in a neighboring district. Dante Edwards, interim principal, Garden Hills Elementary School: Edwards has served APS since 2002 in a variety of roles as a teacher and an administrator, including assistant principal, magnet coordinator and principal. Kimberly Latchman, interim principal, Maynard H. Jackson High School: Latchman has more than 20 years of experience in education. At Maynard Jackson High School, she has served as an instructional coach and, most recently, as assistant principal. The board previously announced seven other new principals last month: Brian Baron, Morningside Elementary School; Summer Clayton, E. Rivers Elementary School; Tiauna Crooms, Booker T. Washington High School; Shermain Jennings, Frederick Douglass High School; Angela Mitchell, North Atlanta High School; Kristy Reese, L.O. Kimberly Elementary School; and Adib Shakir, Michael R. Hollis Innovation Academy. TRENDING STORIES: Giant tree crashes into another, sends it toppling onto Cobb County rental home Swimmer seriously injured in boating incident on GA lake Atlanta-area rapper sentenced for bringing stolen loaded 'machine gun' into hospital labor unit [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Reitz High School teacher awarded by American Association of Chemistry Teachers
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT)- A Reitz High School educator is named 'Teacher of the Year' by the American Association of Chemistry Teachers. Job Corp Centers react to ruling blocking closures Nora Walsh was recognized by the organization for her contributions to chemistry education. The American Association of Chemistry Teachers says Walsh stood out, as she is motivated by collaboration, and is in active teacher learning networks on social media. Walsh serves as an associate editor for Chemical Education Xchange, an interactive website for chemistry teachers, and is a two-time Indiana finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Two D51 teachers named semifinalists for Colorado Teacher of the Year
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — On Thursday, the Colorado Department of Education announced the 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year. Out of the 22 educators named as semifinalists, two are educators from District 51: Liz Fitzgerald from Mesa View Elementary School and Stephanie LaCount from Grand Junction High School. Fitzgerald is a first-grade teacher at Mesa View Elementary School in Grand Junction. She has been an educator for 17 years, and her honors include FIRST Inspire the Future Honoree and Outstanding Coach Award from the National FIRST Lego League. According to her semifinalist bio, she 'wants to create a safe place for students like her teachers did for her.' LaCount is an English Language Arts teacher at Grand Junction High School and has been an educator for 19 years. She has won awards such as the City of Fruita Teacher Appreciation award in 2020 and the KREX Golden Apple Award in 2018. According to her semifinalist bio, 'one of her goals as a teacher is to give students the power of self-acceptance.' Fitzgerald and LaCount were chosen from a pool of 419 applicants representing 106 school districts statewide. The pool of applicants had increased by 375% compared to the prior year. The Colorado Teacher of the Year program honors K-12 educators who have made an impact on their students, schools and communities. The selection process mirrors the standards of the national Teacher of the Year program. The semifinalist selection consisted of a review committee of over 40 people, including Colorado Teacher of the Year winners, Colorado Department of Education staff, representatives from the Boettcher Foundation and the lead sponsor of the Colorado Teacher of the Year program. 'We're proud to see educators from District 51 recognized among this year's semifinalists,' saidDr. Brian Hill, Superintendent of Mesa County Valley School District 51. 'We appreciate the workall of our teachers do each and every day to support our students, and we're cheering on and Ms. LeCount as they move forward in the process!' The semifinalists will move on to the next stage of the selection process, which includes additional essay questions from the teachers, and the finalists will be announced in September. The 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year will be named in October. 'These semifinalists reflect the dedication, passion, and innovation that great teaching requires,' said Boettcher Foundation Vice President of Grants and Programs Tiffany Anderson. 'We're honored to serve as lead sponsor for a program that shines a spotlight on educators who are shaping Colorado's future, and we look forward to celebrating all they've accomplished.' The educator chosen as Colorado's Teacher of the Year represents over 55,000 educators across the state, will receive national recognition in Washington, D.C. and will earn a $5,000 award from the Boettcher Foundation. Individuals can learn more about the program and the other semifinalists on the Colorado Department of Education's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
