Andrew Jackson, 4th Grade teacher at Eden Elementary 

Alabama Department of Education announced the 2020-2021 finalists for Alabama Teacher of the Year.

The educators selected for this prestigious honor have proven their ability to reach students in the classroom and to engage families to support student achievement at higher levels. Teachers of the Year have been resilient and innovative in their educational outreach.

This year’s 16 state finalists have emerged from a group of over 140 highly skilled educators who submitted official applications. The Alabama Teacher of the Year Program is one of our state’s oldest and most esteemed awards programs.

Pell City school system teacher of the year Andrew Jackson was among the 16 finalist. Jackson is a 4th grade teacher at Eden Elementary. Jackson received his bachelors degree in elementary/special/early childhood education from the University of North Dakota. He also has his masters degree in special education. He also received his doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Grand Canyon University.

Alabama’s Teacher of the Year spends the majority of the school year serving as a full-time ambassador for education and the teaching profession, as well as presenting workshops to various groups and participating on the national level.

Reflecting on her experiences as the most recently announced finalist and Alabama’s current Teacher of the Year, Ana Behel, said, “As I reflect on my journey as the 2019- 2020 Alabama Teacher of the Year, I would like to send a message of appreciation and solidarity to all my fellow educators during this critical time. Even though we do not claim to have all the answers and are still exploring an uncharted territory, we are modeling for our students the power of having a growth mindset and not giving up as we work hard to identify the most effective ways to reach them.”

This pool of outstanding educators will be narrowed down to the top four. The 2020-2021 Alabama Teacher of the Year will be announced in August.