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Crosson named Pa. Teacher of the Year

Photo courtesy of Pennsylvania Department of Education
Mifflin County High School teacher Ashlie Crosson (center) is flanked by Mifflin County High School Principal Kelly Campagna (left) and Mifflin County School District Vance Varner after she was named the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year on Monday.

HERSHEY — Mifflin County High School teacher Ashlie Crosson wears a lot of hats throughout her day: 10th grade English teacher, Advanced Placement Language teacher, journalism teacher and digital publications advisor, to name a few.

She added a very prestigious one to her ensemble on Monday.

Crosson was named the 2024 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year during the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s annual professional development conference, which is sponsored by the DOE and the Pennsylvania chapter of the National State Teacher of the Year, in Hershey.

“I do what I do, and I teach what I teach because we have incredible students, an incredible faculty and an incredible community,” said Crosson, who was chosen from a field of 12 finalists. “I’m really excited to bring Pennsylvania home to us.”

Mifflin County School District Superintendent of Schools Vance Varner said the award is testament to the dedication of Crosson and other teachers in the district to their profession.

“It’s a huge accomplishment for Ashlie, but it’s also [a] huge accomplishment for the Mifflin County School District,” he explained. “I’m so proud of her.

“We have an incredible staff – over 800 staff in our district,” he added. “They’re all great; they all deserve awards. Today one of ours was separated as being one of the best teachers of 12, and ultimately the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year for 2024.”

“To my knowledge, we have not had anybody as a finalist before,” he added.

Crosson received the award at the conclusion of a two-day ceremony in Hershey for this year’s finalists. The Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year program honors excellence in teaching by teachers in kindergarten through 12th grade in public education, who have made outstanding academic contributions to school-aged children in the state.

The 12 finalists were selected from applicants that have been nominated by their community. Crosson is now Pennsylvania’s entry in the National Teacher of the Year, which culminates with a ceremony at the White House.

After graduating from Lewistown Area High School in 2007, Crosson received her bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in journalism, as well as her secondary English teaching certificate from Susquehanna University in 2011. She then completed her master’s degree from Penn State in educational leadership in 2015. Most recently, she earned her certificate in gifted education from Millersville University.

With more than 13 years of teaching experience, this nomination – and now state honor – has been one of the many highlights in Crosson’s career.

Crosson, who was nominated by two of her former colleagues in Bellefonte, felt a tremendous sense of pride when hearing her name announced as the 2024 winner. The process had been long, with many rounds to determine this year’s honoree.

The 12 finalists had been notified in June. For Crosson, it was certainly worth the wait being named as the Teacher of the Year.

“I went through the eliminations because I want Mifflin County to be known for its students and its teachers,” Crosson explained. “A lot of people helped me through all of the eliminations. For me, this is a team win.”

And her first reaction?

“A lot of disbelief,” Crosson recalled. “The other 11 finalists are also remarkable educators. I’m really first among equals, that’s very true.”

Being in Hershey for the event was really a rewarding experience for the finalists.

“Coming here is really celebrating that accomplishment,” Crosson said. “What we’ve done for our classrooms and students is worth acknowledging. This is a job. This is a daily grind. These two days were about celebrating that accomplishment.

“It’s about teachers whether they have a handful or hundreds of students, and have a hundred tasks to do,” she added.

Crosson said the real work starts as she will have obligations, such as speaking engagements, as the Teacher of the Year. The winner serves a two-year term.

After being named as the winner, Crosson hugged 2022 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year recipient Elizabeth Raff, who teaches sixth-grade English language arts and social students.

Crosson said Raff gave her some sage words of advice. “She gave me a hug and said, ‘Stand here for [a] minute, don’t move,'” Crosson said.

Crosson listened, enjoying the moment.

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