State Education Department Announces Schenectady Elementary School Teacher as 2025 New York State Teacher of the Year

The Board of Regents today named Colleen Keough, a 2^nd grade teacher at Hamilton Elementary School in the Schenectady City School District, the 2025 New York State Teacher of the Year. Each year, New York awards this honor to an educator whose extraordinary passion for teaching, engagement with the community, and positive impact on their students’ lives deserves special recognition. As Teacher of the Year, Ms. Keough will serve as an ambassador for New York’s teachers, and as the State’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program, whose winner is announced each Spring.

Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said, "On behalf of the Board of Regents, I congratulate New York State's 2025 Teacher of the Year, Colleen Keough. Ms. Keough is an outstanding educator and a tremendous leader within Hamilton Elementary School and the greater community it serves. Throughout her service to the Schenectady community, she has consistently demonstrated her commitment to making a real difference in the lives of her students. I thank Colleen Keough and each of this year's Teacher of the Year finalists for all they do on behalf of New York's students."

Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said, “Throughout her career, Colleen Keough has consistently gone above and beyond for her students, their families, and for the greater Schenectady school community. Colleen always makes her students feel safe and supported; ensures that their physical, emotional, and academic needs are met; and works to bring the community together when times are tough. I am so proud of the work that Colleen, the other Teacher of the Year finalists, and all of New York’s exceptional educators do every day to support our public school students.”

NYSUT President Melinda Person said, "Colleen represents the best of us, as a person and as an educator. Her infectious joy and dedication to her students create ripple effects far beyond the borders of her school building. She is an asset to Schenectady, an asset to our state and so deserving of this honor."

NYSUT Executive Vice President Jaime Ciffone said, "Colleen embodies what it means to put students first. Her work shows us the power of creating lasting connections within her school community, and the bonds she’s forged with students mean they return to visit her years or decades down the road. She is a shining beacon in education, and we are so lucky to have her teaching in New York."

Ms. Keough has spent the entirety of her 16-year teaching career at schools within the Schenectady City School District. Starting as a 1^st grade teacher at Paige Elementary School, she went on to teach 4^th grade at Hamilton Elementary School before moving to 2^nd grade at Hamilton. Ms. Keough is heavily involved in school committees; works with volunteer programs such as Reading is Fun and the Foster Grandparent Program; and has won several awards, including the 2024 Schenectady City School District Teacher of the Year Award and the 2023 Schenectady City School District Passionate Educator Award. She is highly respected among her colleagues for her ongoing efforts to hone her pedagogical skills, to incorporate best practices in her classroom, and to always integrate literacy into all subject areas she teaches.

Outside the classroom, Ms. Keough has led several initiatives to connect the school with the community, including creating a Parent Teacher Organization at the school, which has focused on literacy by building a Little Free Library;  running book fairs; opening a school store where students can purchase supplies; and bringing back the school’s beloved mascot, Hammy, who has had a tremendously positive impact on the school environment. She has also helped students and their families during emergencies and in times of need through fundraising, donation drives, health and safety initiatives, and by connecting parents with critical resources.

The Board also honored two finalists for the 2025 Teacher of the Year:

Nicole Hesari - Todd Elementary School, Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District

Joshua Levitt - Freeport High School, Freeport School District

The New York State Teacher of the Year Program is administered by the New York State Education Department and sponsored by New York State United Teachers (NYSUT); United Federation of Teachers (UFT); New York State Parent Teacher Association (NYSPTA); New York State Association of School Curriculum Development (NYSASCD); New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA); School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS); New York State Association of Teacher Educators (NYSATE); and New York Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NYACTE). The program is run in conjunction with the National Teacher of the Year Program, sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

Additional information about the New York State Teacher of the Year Program is available on NYSED’s Teacher of the Year website.