MA Teacher of the Year Application

The Teacher of the Year:

• Creates an affirming environment where students engage in deeper learning and are held to high expectations with targeted support;
• Builds strong relationships with students, families, and the larger school and district community;
• Has ideas about great teaching, feels strongly about what it looks like to provide high-quality instruction, and is eager to work with and learn from a diverse group of stakeholders to make our education system better.

Eligibility Requirements
In order to be eligible, teachers/co-teachers must:

• Have completed at least four years of teaching experience;
• Spend the majority of the school day in direct instruction of students;
• Possess an active and valid Massachusetts teaching license for the subject and grade level taught;
• Teach in a public school (district or charter); and
• Be a full-time teacher.

Opportunities for the Teacher of the Year:

• The State Teacher of the Year (STOY) will have the opportunity to serve as an ambassador for the teaching profession, which will include public speaking and writing opportunities. This is a chance for the STOY to share ideas and to learn from others. It is not the expectation that the STOY speaks on behalf of all teachers. Rather, the STOY should reflect an understanding of the various perspectives that exist among teachers. The STOY maintains full-time teaching responsibilities. 
• Contingent upon the national program and funding, the Massachusetts STOY attends a four-day National Teacher of the Year conference, travels to Washington, D.C. for a week to participate in numerous recognition activities and potentially meet the President, spends a week at Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., and, after the STOY’s official year ends, attends a “Next Steps” virtual conference, and attends an NCAA football game in January 2026, all with other states’ teachers of the year.
• The Massachusetts STOY becomes the state's candidate for National Teacher of the Year. The National Teacher of the Year spends a year out of the classroom traveling across, and out of, the country, to share their message more broadly and learn from others in a variety of settings.

Visit our webpage to learn more about what it means to be the MA Teacher of the Year!



NOTE: Co-teachers must teach in the same classroom at the same time and be responsible for the same students. Each co-teacher needs to submit an individual candidate information form and resumé, but may collaborate and submit one response for each of the essays.

Application Requirements and Instructions 

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on February 10th, 2025

Visit 2026 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Program for an overview of the application process, required essay questions and instructions. The online application includes: 

• Candidate Information 
• Professional resumé (document upload) 
• Responses to all essay questions 
• Artifact of teaching

Note for the online application: There is no "save and continue" option, so please be sure to see the Teacher of the Year Application Overview for the required essay questions. 

Save the responses to your essay questions prior to completing the online application (we recommend you copy and paste all essay question responses into the space provided in the online application). Have your professional resumé ready to be uploaded before beginning the online application. Please email the Educator Recognition mailbox at EducatorRecognition@mass.gov if you have any questions.