Bluff Park teacher Katie Collins named National Teacher of Year finalist

by

Schools

Bluff Park Elementary School first grade teacher Katie Collins, Alabama’s current Teacher of the Year, today was named one of five finalists for National Teacher of the Year.

Here is the complete list of the five finalists:

  • Katie Collins: 2026 Alabama Teacher of the Year, first grade teacher at Bluff Park Elementary School in Hoover
  • Rachel Kinsaul, 2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year, agriculture teacher at Morgan County High School in Madison, Georgia
  • Michelle Gross, 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, seventh grade math and gifted studies teacher at Spencer County Middle School in Taylorsville, Kentucky
  • Linda Wallenberg, 2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, ninth through 12th grade English teacher at Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota
  • Leon Smith, 2026 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, Advanced Placement U.S. history and Advanced Placement African American studies teacher at Haverford High School in Havertown, Pennsylvania

The five finalists were selected from among 56 Teachers of the Year from U.S. states and territories, the District of Columbia and the U.S Department of Defense by a committee of 15 individuals and education organizations.

The finalists now will travel to Washington, D.C. to interview with the selection committee, and the Council of Chief State School Officers plans to announce the National Teacher of the Year this spring.

The 2026 National Teacher of the Year will spend a year serving as an ambassador for education and uplifting the teaching profession.

Since the National Teacher of the Year program began in 1952, Collins is one of only seven educators from Alabama to be named a national finalist. She will become the second teacher from Hoover City Schools to earn this distinction, following Tonya Perry, who was named a finalist in 2001.

“We could not be more proud of Katie Collins,” Hoover schools Superintendent Kevin Maddox said in a written statement. “Being named a top five National Teacher of the Year finalist is an amazing honor and a true reflection of who she is as an educator. Her passion for empowering students and supporting educators is seen and felt in everything she does.” 

This recognition reflects the momentum exceptional teachers build every day as they inspire students and support families and one another, Maddox said. “We are proud to have Katie represent Hoover City Schools, our community and state on the national stage as a true example of the impact educators have far beyond their classrooms,” he said.

Collins, in a written statement, said being named Alabama Teacher of the Year has been an honor that she will forever carry with her, noting that she has had the opportunity to meet with teachers face to face from all corners of the state.

“I have seen firsthand the transformational work that is being done in public schools and the heart behind it,” Collins said. “It is an honor to represent educators at the national level and to continue sharing the role educators play in strengthening students, families and communities each and every day."

Carissa Moffat Miller, CEO of the Council of Chief State School Officers, in a written statement congratulated the five finalists for their outstanding commitment to education and impactful teaching that advances student outcomes.

“The 2026 National Teacher of the Year finalists exemplify the highest teaching standards, empowering students to be future problem solvers through project-based learning and community collaboration,” the selection committee said. “Their work is rigorous and intentional, embodying everything you want to see in a finalist.”

.