Pennsylvania’s new teacher of the year aimed to be a representative for Black educators

This story originally appeared in The Philadelphia Tribune

Leon Smith grew up around educators. His mom was a teacher and administrator in the School District of Philadelphia for 50 years.

His dad was a teacher and so were some of the members of his church. But it wasn’t until high school that he decided he wanted to enter the profession himself.

With the exception of his 10th-grade year, where he had a Black student-teacher named Mr. Haines, Smith never had a Black teacher in his public school experience.

“I felt a great sense of pride when he walked into the classroom,” he said. “He had a huge impact on my life. I knew then I wanted to be a teacher.

“I wanted to make sure that no other young person went through their K-12 experience without having a Black teacher,” he added. “I wanted to be the teacher I never had.”

Smith, a social studies teacher at Haverford High School in Delaware County, was named the 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. Nearly 660 nominations were submitted for the award. He was one of 12 finalists.

“It’s truly an honor to win this award,” Smith told The Tribune. “I’ve poured my heart into this profession because I want to do the best that I can for my students.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to continue to grow and looking forward to being around excellent teachers,” he said.

As the award recipient, Smith will travel across the state to meet and collaborate with other educators. He will also represent the state in next year’s National Teacher of the Year competition.

The award annually recognizes a professional who inspires students to learn, engages with parents and colleagues and plays an active role in the school community.

The program is cosponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania chapter of the National State Teacher of the Year.

Department of Education Interim Acting Secretary Angela Fitterer applauded Smith for his hard work and dedication.

“Mr. Smith perfectly exemplifies what it means to be an excellent educator, and his commitment to his school is making a lasting impact on his students, their families, and the surrounding community.” Fitterer said in a statement.

Smith began his career at Haverford High School after college. He spent the last 22 years teaching ninth grade honors and advanced placement social studies.

He also teaches 10th-12th grade African American studies, coaches freshmen boys basketball and runs the African American Cultural Enrichment Club.

“All of my students know that my classroom is a safe space where they will be respected and treated with dignity,” he said. “They know that I care about them, but they also know that I expect the best from them.”

Outside of the classroom, Smith has been an advocate for the teaching profession. In 2020, the Upper Dublin Township native started the Haverford Educators of Color.

He also started a Grow Your Teacher program in the Haverford Township School District. The program creates a pipeline for students at Haverford to go into the teaching profession.

“We have a Futures Educators Academy where we select students to go to the Delaware County Intermediate Unit once a month for the whole year,” Smith said.

“They learn about the teaching profession and the roles they can be in education,” he said. “They learn about interviewing, resumes and how to develop their philosophy for education.

“I also started an Educators Rising Club, which is similar to a Future Teachers of America Club, to really try to generate early interest from students in the ninth and tenth grade about teaching,” he added.

Over the last few years, Smith has been a senior policy fellow at Teach Plus Pennsylvania. In the role, he has been leveraging his experience in the classroom to help legislators craft policies that will help students and teachers.

“I love teaching,” Smith said. “I love being in the classroom, but I also want to help create a more equitable and just system for students.”

He admires Sharif El-Mekki, founder of the Center for Black Educator Development, for his work in rebuilding the national Black Teacher Pipeline.

Research has shown that students who have at least one Black teacher by third grade will be 13% more likely to enroll in college. Those who had two Black teachers were 32% more likely to enroll in college.

In Pennsylvania, Black students make up 14.5% of the total population in Pennsylvania public schools, according to data from The Education Trust. However, only 3.8% of teachers are Black and less than 2% are Black men.

Smith believes that lessening the cost to become a teacher and enlightening students about the legacy of Black educators would help more young people enter the profession.

“Young people need to know the legacy of Black educators and how effective they were in organizing parents and communities,” he said. “A lot of young people in this generation are attracted to social justice.

“If we would link teaching with the act of social justice and activism I definitely think that teaching would be something that they would be attracted to,” he added.

He encouraged future educators to find a support system and to take their job seriously “as they’re shaping young minds of the future.”

“You want to have people that you can talk to and fully understand the journey of being a teacher,” Smith said. “Find a mentor and take care of yourself.

“Being a teacher is one of the most impactful things that you can do in society,” he added. “You’re providing an opportunity for people to achieve their dreams. An effective, good and caring teacher is someone that people will never forget.”