Joseph Nappi of Monmouth Regional High School, who was named New Jersey’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year earlier this year, has now been selected as one of the four finalists for National Teacher of the Year.
Acting Education Commissioner Christopher Huber congratulated him on the latest honor in a news release, noting that there have only been two other years since New Jersey entered the National Teacher of the Year program in 1969 that the Council of Chief State School Officers, which oversees the National Teacher of the Year program, has named a New Jersey teacher as a national finalist.
Joining Nappi as finalists this year are Catherine Walker from Alaska, Christy Todd from Georgia and Missy Testerman from Tennessee.
One of them will be named the 2024 National Teacher of the Year this spring and will spend the following year traveling the nation to present to educators and advocate on behalf of teachers and students.
“Joseph Nappi represents the best of the teaching profession, and I’m not surprised that The Council of Chief State School Officers, which oversees the National Teacher of the Year program, has selected him as one of the four national finalists for the National Teacher of the Year Award,” said Dr. Timothy Purnell, executive director and CEO of the New Jersey School Boards Association. “As a social studies teacher, he strives to help students see how relevant his subject area is to the world we live in today. But he also cares about students, which is so important. In fact, his story is similar to mine: Neither one of us had a great experience in school, and we both embarked on a career in education to change it from the inside.” Purnell added, “My congratulations go out to the three other finalists, as well. The work that teachers do every day to give all students the chance to succeed is so important.”
Additional information on the National Teacher of the Year program can be found on CCSSO’s National Teacher of the Year webpage. You can also read its biography of Nappi, who teaches U.S. History to sophomores and a Holocaust, Genocide and Modern Humanity course to seniors.
His lessons and his blog, “Ten Concrete Tips for Teaching About the Holocaust,” have been published by PBS. In addition, he co-founded a charity that raised over $75,000 from staff donations to help students overcome financial difficulties affecting their classroom success.
Each year, states, U.S. extra-state territories, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity select outstanding educators to serve as State Teachers of the Year. From a cohort of 55 State Teachers of the Year, the National Teacher of the Year Selection Committee, comprising 16 individuals and education organizations, selected finalists based on written applications.
The finalists will interview with the National Teacher of the Year Program’s Selection Committee, and CCSSO will announce the 2024 National Teacher of the Year later this spring. The 2024 National Teacher of the Year will spend the next year serving as an ambassador and advocate for all teachers and students.