Leon Smith of Pennsylvania named 2026 National Teacher of the Year

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"CBS Mornings" exclusively revealed Pennsylvania precocious schoolhouse teacher Leon Smith arsenic the 2026 National Teacher of the Year, which is selected by the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year program.

Smith, a societal studies teacher astatine Haverford High School successful Havertown, Pennsylvania, said the grant "just means everything."

"It's conscionable specified an grant to beryllium capable to correspond teachers each implicit the state and truly basal connected the shoulders of truthful galore others that person travel earlier maine that person done conscionable specified large work," Smith said successful an interrogation with "CBS Mornings" connected Tuesday.

Smith, who teaches AP U.S. past and AP African American studies, was antecedently named the 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.

In a video, students astatine Haverford High School and colleagues described Smith arsenic passionate, caring, charismatic and engaging.

"He is everything you privation successful a teacher," main Pete Donaghy said successful the video. "He relates African American studies oregon U.S. past to his students."

Smith reflected connected the quality teachers tin marque successful the lives of their students. For him, his favourite teacher was his archetypal people teacher, Ms. Mason.

"Just however she made maine feel," Smith said. "So I conscionable deliberation that's the powerfulness of a teacher, that it's not ever the contented but it's however you marque the students consciousness is what they remember."

Smith said helium thinks it's important to fto students "know that you care."

"And besides conscionable being capable to spot things successful students that they cannot spot successful themselves."

Smith is besides a longtime hoops coach, coaching the freshman squad astatine Haverford High School.

"I was 1 of his players and helium made definite that I felt seen," a erstwhile subordinate told "CBS Mornings." "He made maine consciousness similar I really had a purpose."

Smith's emotion for hoops started erstwhile helium was young. His favourite subordinate ever is Julius Erving, known arsenic Dr. J., who Smith said made him "fall successful love" with the game.

Erving amazed Smith connected "CBS Mornings" by congratulating him successful idiosyncratic connected being named the National Teacher of the Year.

"When I got the notification astir Leon, I realized that his schoolhouse Haverford is virtually close astir the country from a location that I lived successful for 11 years," Erving said. "So determination was a transportation ... I said, 'Well, let's spell and beryllium connected the show. Go spot immoderate people. Spread immoderate joy. Spread immoderate love.'"

Erving recalled a teacher who had an interaction connected his life.

"The astir important was Mr. Ray Wilson, who really taught peculiar ed successful my precocious school, but helium was besides my hoops coach," Erving said, describing Wilson arsenic a lifelong mentor.

"He lived until helium was successful his 80s, and helium was ever there. He was ever my archetypal telephone anytime thing came up. Big oregon small, I could ever telephone him, anytime, time oregon night. That was special."

Smith called gathering Erving an grant and said he's thankful for a infinitesimal that he'll ne'er forget.

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