Spencer County Middle School teacher and the 2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Michelle Gross has been named a finalist for the 2026 National Teacher of the Year award by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).
“To be named a finalist for the National Teacher of the Year award is a tremendous honor for Mrs. Gross and for Kentucky as a whole,” said Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher. “She is a shining example of how providing students with vibrant learning experiences can set them up for success.”
Gross has 22 years experience teaching math, including 20 years in Spencer County. She teaches 7th-grade math classes, and a gifted and talented class called The Academy where students pick a subject area to dig into deeper. Gross was among nine educators who were honored as 2026 Kentucky Teacher Achievement Award Winners during the Kentucky Teacher of the Year ceremony on Oct. 7.
“It is so rewarding to see Mrs. Gross recognized nationally. She is a shining example of what we’ve known about Kentucky educators all along, that they are dedicated to their students, their families and their communities,” Fletcher said.
CCSSO runs the National Teacher of the Year Program with Google for Education as the lead sponsor. Each year, states, U.S. extra-state territories, Washington, D.C., and the Department of Defense Education Activity select outstanding educators to serve as State Teachers of the Year.
From a cohort of 56 State Teachers of the Year, the National Teacher of the Year Selection Committee – comprising 15 individuals and education organizations – selected the finalists based on applications.
The other finalists are:
• Katie Collins, the 2026 Alabama Teacher of the Year, is a 1st-grade teacher at Bluff Park Elementary in Hoover, Alabama.
• Rachel Kinsaul, the 2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year, teaches agriculture at Morgan County High School in Madison, Georgia.
• Linda Wallenberg, the 2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, is a 9th- through 12th-grade English teacher at Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
• Leon Smith, the 2026 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, is an Advanced Placement U.S. History and Advanced Placement African American studies teacher at Haverford High School in Havertown, Pennsylvania.
The finalists will next travel to Washington, D.C., and interview with the National Teacher of the Year Selection Committee, and CCSSO will announce the 2026 National Teacher of the Year this spring. The 2026 National Teacher of the Year will spend a year serving as an ambassador for education and uplifting the teaching profession.
For more information, visit the CCSSO National Teacher of the Year program website.
Kentucky Department of Education