In well over half a century no Massachusetts teacher had ever won the Council of Chief State School Officers’ National Teacher of the Year award until this year.
On Thursday the Baker administration announced that Sydney Chaffee, a ninth grade humanities teacher at Codman Academy Public Charter School in Dorchester, is this year’s winner.
Chaffee, who was in New York City last week for the announcement, attended a Friday morning celebration at the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston.
“What strikes me most about Sydney is her humility and willingness to try a variety of ways to advance her students’ growth. Where others might experience obstacles or feel discouraged, Sydney seeks opportunities to learn from her students and colleagues,” Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester said in a statement.
Chaffee is a Dorchester resident and has taught English and social studies at the school since 2007, according to the administration. The first National Teacher of the Year award was issued in 1952 to Geraldine Jones, an elementary school teacher in Santa Barbara, California.
A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Lesley University, Chaffee collaborates with Huntington Theatre Company and believes education is a “transformative tool for social justice,” according to the Council of Chief State School Officers. “It can empower students to stand up for themselves and create change,” Chaffee said, according to the council.
“It can only do this, however, if teachers like me hold ourselves and each other accountable for confronting the system’s historical inequity.”
Chaffee will head to Washington, D.C. this week for National Teacher of the Year activities, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
