Oberlin High School teacher Kurt Russell has been named the 2022 National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). Russell had been in the running for this prestigious honor after being selected as the 2022 Ohio Teacher of the Year.
Russell, a 25-year veteran of the classroom, believes education can transform students’ lives and emphasizes cultural relevance and diverse representation in his curriculum. He teaches several highly popular courses, including African American history and Race, Gender, and Oppression to students in grades 9-12.
“The Ohio Education Association extends its warmest congratulations to Kurt Russell on this impressive and well-deserved honor,” OEA President Scott DiMauro said. “Kurt is a thoughtful and courageous educator who works tirelessly to tackle the tough topics with age-appropriate instruction, so all of his students—regardless of where they’re from or what they look like—can see themselves in their curriculum and feel empowered to be proud of who they are and who they can become in the future.”
To learn more about OEA Member Kurt Russell, read Empowering Students in the October/November 2021 issue of Ohio Schools and listen to the October 28, 2021, episode of the Education Matters podcast. Russell was also featured as a National Teacher of the Year finalist in the April/May 2022 edition of Ohio Schools.
