🍎 NEW: ADE is currently accepting applications for the 2024 ATOY program. Learn more: Commissioner's Memo LIC-23-021.

The classroom teacher is the backbone of the American education system. To recognize and celebrate excellent teachers, the Arkansas Department of Education coordinates the Arkansas Teacher of the Year program. The ATOY program is part of the National Teacher of the Year (NTOY) program that is coordinated by the Council of Chief State School Officers.

North Little Rock Educator Named 2023 Arkansas Teacher of the Year

Capri Salaam, a social studies teacher at North Little Rock Middle School, received a surprise of a lifetime when she was named the 2023 Arkansas Teacher of the Year.  Salaam, a multi-classroom lead teacher, was one of four state semi-finalists for the award and was chosen by the ATOY selection committee for her innovative teaching practices, her ability to connect with students from diverse backgrounds, and her efforts to stay engaged with her students after they leave her classroom. To learn more, please read the press release.

Cabot Educator Named 2022 Arkansas Teacher of the Year

Jessica Saum, a special education teacher at Stagecoach Elementary School in Cabot, was named the 2022 Arkansas Teacher of the Year in a surprise ceremony at her school. Saum, who has been a self-contained special education teacher for grades K-4 in Cabot since 2018, is known not only for her excellence in the classroom but for her advocacy work on behalf of her students, her efforts to connect her students with learning opportunities in the community, and her support for military families. To learn more, please read the press release.

For more information, please contact:

Kimberly Mundell, Director of Communications
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Four Capitol Mall, Room 305A
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-683-4788
Email: Kimberly.Mundell@ade.arkansas.gov