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(Columbus, OH) – The State Board of Education of Ohio is proud to announce that Daneé Pinckney, a high school English teacher at Twinsburg High School in the Twinsburg City School District, has been named the 2025 Ohio Teacher of the Year. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Paul Craft made the surprise public announcement today during a schoolwide assembly at Twinsburg High School.
“Ohio’s students interact every day with amazing teachers, so the challenge of selecting just one educator to represent those tens of thousands of wonderful educators around our state is daunting,” said Superintendent Craft. “Each year the selection committees at the regional and state levels do an amazing job of finding a candidate who reflects the excellence of the profession and their colleagues, and this year is no exception.”
Pinckney currently teaches 11th and 12th-grade English at Twinsburg High School. Her commitment to challenge herself professionally and personally led to the creation of a senior-level course on African American literature, addressing a need for representation sought by both students and community members. She obtained grant funding to support its implementation, and her efforts have enriched educational experiences for all students and staff. Additionally, her dedication to pursuing personal growth as an educator has earned her recognition as a Master Teacher Finalist by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation and accolades such as the 2023 Twinsburg City Schools Teacher of the Year and a 2023 Fund for Teachers Fellow.
“Daneé Pinckney represents the best of what every educator should aspire to be; dedicated and passionate with a perfect balance of high expectations for all students coupled with the will to provide whatever support those students need to be successful,” Mr. Craft said. “I couldn’t be more excited, on behalf of the State Board of Education, to congratulate her on this incredible achievement.”
Using literature as the anchor, Pinckney also works to encourage students’ engagement in community service and activism projects instilling in them a sense of social responsibility and civic engagement. Her students most recently collaborated with students in Ghana and led a schoolwide project building global community and empathy.
“I feel honored to have been able to see Daneé show her passion for her students and teaching through the Ohio Teacher of the Year process. It is a reminder of how lucky Ohio is to have talented teachers like Daneé,” State Board of Education President Paul LaRue said.
About Daneé Pinckney
Daneé Pinckney started her teaching career in Columbus, Ohio after graduating from The Ohio State University. There she earned her Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Middle Childhood Education. Later, she realized her passions were more suited to high school, and she received her Ohio English K-12 Certification and went on to earn a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction: Educational Technology from Ashland University.
About the Ohio Teacher of the Year Program
Earlier this year, school administrators, fellow educators, parents, students and community members nominated teachers for Ohio’s State Board District Teacher of the Year. In July, Pinckney received the State Board District 10 Teacher of the Year recognition– one of 11 teachers statewide to receive the district-level honor. From the field of 11, Pinckney was one of four teachers named as a finalist for Ohio Teacher of the Year. As the Ohio Teacher of the Year, Pinckney will serve as an ambassador for the teaching profession and public education and represent Ohio in the 2025 National Teacher of the Year selection sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
The Ohio Teacher of the Year program began in 1964. Details about the selection process, the list of previous recipients and additional program information are available on the State Board of Education website.