TWINSBURG, Ohio — One of the state’s best teachers is here in Northeast Ohio. The Ohio State Board of Education recently named Twinsburg High School English teacher Daneé Pinckney the 2025 Ohio Teacher of the Year.
“This is a wonderful honor for me, but even more so, I think it’s important that I’m able to highlight all of the others around me that didn’t have a giant assembly, that didn’t get to have a giant banner,” Pinckney told News 5. “I am surrounded by amazing teachers.”
Her desire to teach started as a child, influenced by her mother’s career in education.
“My earliest memories were - ‘this is what I want to do.’ I wanted to be a teacher,” she recalled. “My mom is one of those teachers who really loves her children beyond the classroom. So I had a lot of god-sisters and god-brothers and aunties and uncles who were really just her students and their families that she had taken in.”
Some may describe Pinckney’s teaching style as informal. She prefers encouraging discussions, often sitting in small groups with students and playfully tossing a soft stress ball to get their attention.
“When a principal comes in and they evaluate me, they’re like, ‘It’s kind of chaotic, but it’s like organized chaos,’” she laughed. “And I like that. It’s like a family feel.”
Twinsburg senior Sheldon Logan added, “I just like how she makes learning fun. She might not be our age, but she can relate to us.”
Students and administrators have praised Pinckey’s creation of an “Exploration of Black Voices in Literature” course.
“This is essentially a passion project for me,” she said.
The senior-level elective examines the literary and artistic contributions of early Africans and African Americans to American culture.
“I took it because I wanted to learn more about my culture. I feel like a lot of African Americans lose their cultural identity. And it would be nice to get that knowledge back,” Logan said.
Pinckney hopes the class provokes deep discussions, promotes understanding and empowers students.
“If we feel pride in where we come from and who we are, instead of shame, it allows to be inspired about where we can go,” she said. “There are some students who’ve never seen themselves do well because they weren’t seeing themselves in what they were learning. And they may get to leave from this classroom saying, ‘I just got an A on a test.’”
The State Board of Education’s announcement about the 2025 Teacher of the Year touted Pinckney's works to encourage students’ engagement in community service and activism projects, instilling in them a sense of social responsibility and civic engagement.
The state-level recognition came during a surprise announcement at a recent school-wide assembly at Twinsburg High School.
“We’re just very proud,” said Twinsburg High School principal Emily Hunt. “She is wonderful with students, she builds relationships, she engages students, she’s not afraid to try new things.”
Pinckney pointed out most teachers don’t enter the profession for accolades, though the award feels validating.
“You automatically have been told, ‘You’re not going to be appreciated. People are not going to recognize what you do. And you do it for the love of kids.’ And I think that is 100 percent true,” she said of education. “But people, all people, want to be affirmed in what they do and that they do it well. And all people want to feel appreciated and, be valued for what they love."
She said she hopes to give her students similar affirmation.
“I hope that my students take away from my class that they are loved, they are valued, they are important and they can make a huge change for the good in the world,” Pinckney said.
Pinckney went through a rigorous selection process before she was chosen as the state’s Teacher of the Year. She was previously named the 2023 Twinsburg City Schools Teacher of the Year and an Ohio regional district Teacher of the Year.
A selection committee from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) will now review all State Teacher of the Year winners and nominate four finalists to interview for the title of National Teacher of the Year.
