December 05, 2022 - Hershey, PA
Acting Secretary of Education Eric Hagarty announced that Ryan D. Hardesty, an educator at Blackhawk School District in Beaver County, has been named the 2023 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made during the SAS Institute, the Pennsylvania Department of Education's annual professional development conference."The reach of an excellent educator extends far beyond the walls of the classroom - great teachers set students up for a lifetime of opportunities," said Hagarty. "The 12 Teacher of the Year finalists demonstrate exceptional leadership and commitment, and they all deserve our appreciation. On behalf of the Wolf Administration and the Pennsylvania Department of Education, we applaud Mr. Hardesty for his dedication to his students and school community."Hardesty teaches seventh- and eighth-grade social studies at Highland Middle School. His teaching philosophy is that "the goal of education is to meet the specific needs of the diverse set of learners that come into our classroom. To do so, we should plan engaging and rigorous work that pushes students to reach their full potential."Speakers:David Volkman - PA Dept. of EducationJoe Welch - 2020 Teacher of the Year and 2022 National Teacher of the Year FinalistEric Hagarty - Acting Secretary, PA Dept. of Education Ryan D. Hardesty - 2023 Teacher of the Year
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