A graduate of the Cleveland-area school where he鈥檚 taught for 25 years, Russell still works to pull together an annual basketball tournament and festival in Oberlin 鈥� the experience that convinced him it was a 鈥渏oy鈥� to work with high school students.聽

鈥淗e just commands the best out of you when you鈥檙e tired and you feel like you can’t do anymore,鈥� said senior Caleb Peterson, who has had 鈥淩uss鈥� as a teacher every year since ninth grade and is taking three of his courses this year. He also played basketball freshman and sophomore year. 鈥淭he lessons he鈥檚 taught me on the court or in the classroom will stick in my heart.鈥�

On Tuesday, the Council of Chief State School Officers named Russell the 2022 National Teacher of the Year. Students and staff, wearing the school鈥檚 red, white and blue colors, gathered early at the school for a watch party. When the announcement came, just after 8 a.m Eastern on , 鈥渢he whole auditorium lit up,鈥� Peterson said.

Teaching American history with a focus on the Black experience 鈥� at a time of intense national scrutiny over how educators discuss race and discrimination 鈥� the veteran educator plans to focus his year as the nation鈥檚 top teacher on breaking down barriers in education.

聽鈥淚 would like to focus on diversity and making sure students receive a well-rounded educational experience,鈥� said Russell, adding that he鈥檒l advocate for girls to pursue聽STEM fields and more men teaching in the early grades.

He was inspired to go into education when he had a Black male teacher, Larry Thomas, for eighth grade math. 鈥淐ulturally I could relate to him,鈥� Russell said. 鈥� His family migrated from the South. My family migrated from the South. Some of the discussion I had in class was personal to me.鈥�

Russell turned that connection to his cultural roots into a career, teaching U.S. History and electives on race, oppression and Black music that are among the school鈥檚 most popular courses. When he鈥檚 teaching, his booming voice carries down the hallways. 

鈥淗e puts his entire heart into his students and they are very engaged in his lesson,鈥� said Denita Tolbert-Brown, a business teacher at the school who has worked with Russell for 24 years. 

Peterson, who is weighing offers from Temple University in Philadelphia and Clark Atlanta University, said even though reading doesn鈥檛 鈥済rasp鈥� him like it used to, Russell has sparked his interest in books about racial history.

鈥淣o matter what I end up doing, I want to have the same impact,鈥� he said about his favorite teacher and former coach. 鈥淚 want to try to be like him and excel and inspire people.鈥�

Russell feels fortunate that he鈥檚 been able to work in a 鈥減rogressive鈥� district where he hasn鈥檛 faced backlash from the community over teaching about racial and gender discrimination. Parents, he said, have been 鈥渁ccepting.鈥� That鈥檚 in contrast to Republican lawmakers in his state, who have introduced three bills to restrict lessons on so-called 鈥渄ivisive鈥� topics. would also limit references to gender identity and sexual orientation.

Even so, broader opposition, combined with the impact of the pandemic, has left many colleagues feeling worn down.

鈥淔or me, it’s just the idea of respect,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f someone visits a doctor and the doctor prescribes the medication, we don鈥檛 think twice about that. In education, teachers are not trusted. Politicians are telling teachers what we can or can鈥檛 teach.鈥�

CCSSO鈥檚 choice of Russell as the winner 鈥渄oes bring a perspective that could add to the conversation both in Ohio and across the country,鈥� said Anton Schulzki, president of the National Council for the Social Studies. 鈥淏ut that will be up to him to decide how to use his voice.鈥�

Bills like those proposed in Ohio are 鈥渟caring鈥� people out of the profession, said Jeff Wensing, vice president of the Ohio Education Association.

鈥淲e are looking at a time where students are really not considering the education profession,鈥� he said, adding that Russell鈥檚 most important contribution over the next year could be to spark interest in the education field among young Black men. 鈥淲e need more teachers of color. Students need to see people like themselves standing in front of them as educators.鈥澛�

About 40 students at Oberlin Senior High School won鈥檛 be taking courses on Black history, race and gender oppression this fall 鈥� not because they鈥檝e been canceled due to conservative opposition, but because Kurt Russell won鈥檛 be teaching them.

Jennifer Bracken, a counselor at the Cleveland-area school, said students would rather take those courses when Russell returns from his one-year sabbatical as Ohio鈥檚 Teacher of the Year. 鈥淭hey do not want to miss out on an opportunity to be in his class,鈥� said Bracken. Russell is known for his energetic teaching style, and students told her that during remote learning, his class was the one 鈥渨here being online was not bad.鈥� 

A 鈥渄ivisive concepts鈥� currently advancing in Ohio鈥檚 state House could raise questions about Russell鈥檚 popular courses, but he said that just makes him want to teach with more 鈥渢enacity.鈥�

鈥淪tudents are really wanting to talk about these subjects. They want that tough conversation,鈥� said Russell, one of four candidates to be 2022鈥檚 National Teacher of the Year. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the adults who have a problem with it.鈥�

Whether the topic is discrimination or the mental well-being of the nation鈥檚 students and teachers, this year鈥檚 finalists aren鈥檛 avoiding touchy subjects. Both Russell and Joseph Welch, the nominee from Pennsylvania, teach history. They tread daily in their classrooms through lessons being debated in statehouses and school board chambers across the country. Whitney Aragaki, the finalist from Hawaii, warns stressed-out students competing for spots in elite colleges that they鈥檙e putting their mental health at risk when they don鈥檛 take time to rest. And Autumn Rivera of Colorado said it鈥檚 time to drop the 鈥渢oxic positivity鈥� behind the notion that teachers are selfless and only in the profession 鈥渇or the kids.鈥�

The Council of Chief State School Officers will soon name one of the four this year鈥檚 national winner.

鈥淚鈥檓 not a superhero,鈥� said Rivera, a sixth grade science teacher at Glenwood Springs Middle School in a resort town west of Denver. 鈥淚鈥檓 a human being who has needs and has to take care of myself.鈥�

While her district hasn鈥檛 experienced mid-year teachers resignations like some, she said many of her colleagues have 鈥渞eevaluated鈥� at least once this year whether they want to keep teaching. It will take more than Starbucks gift cards and fulfilling Amazon wish lists to retain teachers, she said, adding that significant salary increases, college loan forgiveness, and covering moving and housing expenses are more likely to reduce turnover.

As a teacher leader, Rivera advocates for educators鈥� perspectives in policy, but it鈥檚 the way she balances high academic expectations and tight relationships with students that earned her the state鈥檚 top honor, said Principal Joel Hathaway.

Her work with students to support a local land trust鈥檚 efforts to and preserve the area as a state park is one example, he said. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 the difference between having a science fair and having a science project that actually affects the quality of life in your community,鈥� he said.

Like many middle school teachers this year, Rivera notices a 鈥済ap in maturity鈥� among students due to limited opportunities to socialize in person during the pandemic. But a recent project in which students used digital tools to create presentations about elements on the periodic table reminded her what they鈥檝e gained. 

鈥淭his generation is going to be so resilient,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey could all have graduate degrees in tech after these two years.鈥�

Aragaki, of Waiakea High School in Hilo, teaches both biology and AP environmental science. Her AP class is often just one of several college-level courses her students are taking. She sees them sometimes setting unrealistic 鈥� and unhealthy 鈥� expectations for themselves.

鈥淚鈥檓 an alum of my own school. I tell them, 鈥業 sat in those desks where you are. I know what it’s like.鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淲e should push ourselves, but learning doesn’t always come through high-stress situations. We can learn in joyful and calm situations.鈥�

She brings that sense of calm to the classroom through yoga, which she learned to teach last school year 鈥� 鈥渂ecause I don鈥檛 have enough things to do,鈥� she joked. Aragaki is also working on a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction and mentors teachers who are new to the school.

During the summer of 2020, she helped lead an enrichment class to prepare students for remote learning in the fall. This year, to ease them back into in-person communication, she required them to give 10-minute lessons to their classmates on a topic they knew well. 

One taught Mandarin writing. Another demonstrated the proper way to throw a football. And a few Korean students showed classmates how to make the featured in the life-or-death Netflix series 鈥淪quid Game鈥� 鈥� 鈥渂ut without the trauma response,鈥� Aragaki joked.

Those presentations were a bridge to the next assignment 鈥� explaining an environmental science concept as if they were talking to an audience with no knowledge of the topic.

鈥淚f we can鈥檛 communicate science, we鈥檙e not helping society,鈥� she said.

Sarah Polloi, the English department chair at Waiakea, said Aragaki has a talent for anticipating the needs and concerns not only of her students, but co-workers. When the school began to get a lot of new teachers, Aragaki and Polloi developed the New Warrior program, featuring sessions on issues unique to Waiakea and its challenges. 

鈥淪he鈥檚 always the brain and I’m the muscle. She ropes me into these things,鈥� Polloi said, adding that even veteran teachers participate in the weekly meetings. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a safe place to ask questions.鈥�

Polloi has a parent鈥檚 perspective as well. Her daughter Maya, now an 11th grader, had Aragaki鈥檚 biology class last year. Aragaki held individual conferences with students throughout the year, helping Maya get through the year of remote learning. 

鈥淭hey would talk about curriculum, but also how my daughter was doing in general,鈥� Polloi said. 鈥淪he appreciated that one-on-one time.鈥�

The finalists have left lasting impressions on their colleagues.

鈥淚 sort of thought I was with it. Then Joe came along,鈥� said Larry Dorenkamp, who teaches U.S. history at North Hills Middle School with Welch. 鈥淛oe opened my eyes to the use of technology.鈥�

During remote learning in the fall of 2020, the two traveled to historical landmarks and broadcast Zoom classes with a hotspot 鈥� a middle school twist on the way Pittsburgh鈥檚 own Fred Rogers introduced young children to his neighborhood.

Welch and Dorenkamp gave clues to their location and based on earlier lessons, students guessed where they were. One spot was where George Washington looked down over the forks of the Ohio River in 1753. Another was Fort Necessity, the site of an early battle in the French and Indian War. 

For Veterans Day, the pair 鈥� who have become best friends outside of school 鈥� drove to Washington and featured war memorials on the National Mall. Even parents tuned into the lessons.

Welch was elected last year to the South Fayette Township School District, also near Pittsburgh, and said he hopes to bring teachers鈥� perspectives to policy decisions.

Welch, like Rivera, understands why this school year is pushing some educators to question their commitment to the profession. He counted 90 out of 135 school days this year that he鈥檚 given up a planning period or lunch break to cover another teacher鈥檚 class.

鈥淓very teacher likes to be creative. You might take a walk and get new ideas,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat time does not exist.鈥�

Many educators, he added, feel defensive about their work. He recently taught a lesson about Thomas Jefferson, and a student asked about Sally Hemings, a slave who had children with Jefferson. The next morning, he received an email from a parent, with the subject line: 鈥淵esterday鈥檚 lesson.”

鈥淚 thought, 鈥楬ere we go,鈥� 鈥� Welch said, bracing himself for criticism. Instead the parent thanked him and said his lesson became a topic at the family dinner table.

Avoiding controversial material, Welch said, only leaves students unprepared to handle difficult issues in the future.

鈥淟et鈥檚 learn from the past, but you don鈥檛 have to be defined by it,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e can love America without loving every aspect of its past.鈥�