The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development announced four teachers for the 2023 Teacher of the Year: Heather Baker (Kenai Peninsula Borough School District), Harlee Harvey (North Slope Borough School District), Mark Martin (Denali Borough School District), and Charles Lance Smith (Anchorage School District).
The finalists went through four rounds of evaluation by committee which included interviews, personal essays, sample lessons, and letters of recommendation.
The Alaska Teacher of the Year and an alternate will be announced at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year. The selected teacher will serve as Alaska’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year and will be able to participate in programs and activities with other State Teachers of the Year coordinated by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
Commissioner Dr. Michael Johnson said:
“Alaska’s Teacher of the Year finalists have been recognized by their peers as deserving of special recognition. We join them in celebrating the dedication of these four educators and also as an opportunity to thank all Alaskan teachers for their hard work.”
Heather Baker teachers a multiage 4th/5th grade class at K-Beach Elementary School in Soldotna, where she has taught since 2019. She has also taught at Nikiski North Star Elementary and worked as a Migrant Ed STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) teacher and tutor. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Washington and a Master of Arts (MA) in Education with Elementary focus from the University of Southern California.
