Twinsburg High School educator named 2025 Ohio Teacher of the Year

TWINSBURG, Ohio – A Twinsburg City Schools educator has been awarded the 2025 Ohio Teacher of the Year by the Ohio State Board of Education.

Twinsburg High School English teacher Daneé Pinckney received the award during a ceremony Thursday.

Pinckney, 35, was one of four finalists in the running for the award. The finalists were selected from among 11 district teachers of the year, according to the state board. A 13-member committee of educators selected the finalists based on written applications.

“This honor allows me to have a platform to brag about the profession and all the wonderful people I work with and with across the state,” Pinckney told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. “I want teachers to know that their work is valued, whether they receive recognition or not, and to encourage those of us in the field to continue.

“Usually this will look like showing up and being excited about what we teach, loving our students the way we do so well, and keeping up with best practices, but sometimes it will look like we have act against outdated systems and conditions. that do not best serve ourselves and students. Finally, I look forward to using this opportunity as Ohio Teacher of the Year to be a voice for us.”

A resident of Stow, Pinckney received a bachelor’s degree in middle childhood education from Ohio State University. She also earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with a major in educational technology from Ashland University, according to the Twinsburg City Schools website.

In Pinckney’s role as an educator, she looks for opportunities to challenge herself, she said. She created an upper level course on African American literature, addressing the need for representation of students and community members.

Through literature, Pinckney aims to inspire her students to take part in community service projects and activism to foster social responsibility and civic engagement.

Recently, her students collaborated with students from Ghana and led a school-wide project aimed at building global community and empathy, according to the district’s website.

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