PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Education, Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, announced on Monday that Ashlie Crosson, an educator at Mifflin County School District, has been awarded the prestigious title of Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year for 2024. The announcement was made during the SAS Institute, the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) annual professional development conference.
Sec. Mumin praised Crosson’s dedication to education, saying, “Ashlie Crosson is a leader and a role model in her school district, championing practices and resources that will lead her students to infinite possibilities of success, and today we congratulate her on her dedication to her classroom and community.”
Crosson, who teaches Grade 10 English, AP Language, and Journalism at Mifflin County High School in Lewistown, holds an impressive academic background. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English/Journalism from Susquehanna University, a Masters in Educational Leadership from Pennsylvania State University, and a gifted education endorsement from Millersville University.
As an advocate for Career and College Readiness standards, Crosson believes in offering intellectually and creatively stimulating courses that are grounded in practicality. She has also invested personal funds to help build classroom libraries filled with diverse young adult books, demonstrating her commitment to promoting independent reading.
The Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year award is part of the National Teacher of the Year (NTOY) Program. Through this program, the PDE recognizes and honors exemplary teaching and classroom practices across the state. The award annually acknowledges a professional who inspires students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn, earns the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues, and plays an active and useful role in both school and community.
As the 2024 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, Crosson will travel across the state, meet and collaborate with other educators, and represent Pennsylvania in next year’s National Teacher of the Year competition. The program is co-sponsored by the PDE and the Pennsylvania chapter of the National State Teacher of the Year, which was founded in 1995.
Crosson was selected from a pool of 12 finalists. The 2023 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, Ryan Hardesty, is a social studies teacher at Highland Middle School in Beaver County’s Blackhawk School District.
For more information about Pennsylvania’s Teacher of the Year program, visit the PDE’s website.
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