Ohio, West Virginia Teachers Named 2026 Teacher of Year Finalists

Several educators from Ohio and West Virginia have been named finalists for their respective states' 2026 Teacher of the Year awards. In Ohio, Ronda Nisbet, a math teacher at Dixie Middle School in New Lebanon, is one of four finalists, recognized for her dedication to student empowerment and academic progress. In West Virginia, Tiffany Barnes, a special education teacher and two-time Iraq War veteran at Wheeling Middle School, is a finalist known for her community involvement and innovative programs supporting special education. Renee Powell, a fourth-grade teacher at Big Elm Elementary in Harrison County, is also a finalist in West Virginia, noted for her development of programs like the Mystery Reader and her work expanding coding and computational thinking in classrooms. The West Virginia finalists also include Brooke Davis, Amber Hibbard, and Nicole Pratt, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony in Charleston in September 2025. Both states celebrate these educators for their commitment to excellence and impact on students and communities.