UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., July 20 -- Pennsylvania State University issued the following news release:
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Leon Smith, an Advanced Placement U.S. History and African American studies teacher at Haverford High School in Havertown, has been named the 2026 National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).
Smith, who in 2005 earned his master of education in instructional systems from Penn State, is the second consecutive Penn State alumnus to win the award after Ashlie Crosson, an English and journalism teacher from Mifflin County High School in Lewistown, received the honor in 2025.
As a finalist, Smith traveled to Washington, D.C., and had to both interview with the selection committee and g...