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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 24, 2024
Alaska Teacher Selected as Finalist for 2024 National Teacher of the Year
The Council of Chief State School Officers Announces Four Finalists
JUNEAU, AK -- The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced that four educators from across the country are finalists for the 2024 National Teacher of the Year (TOY) award. One of the finalists is the 2024 Alaska Teacher of the Year Catherine Walker.
Each year, every state, U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity select outstanding educators to serve as State Teachers of the Year. From the cohort of 55 State TOY awardees, a selection committee comprising of 16 individuals and education organizations selects finalists based on written applications.
Catherine Walker of Anchorage, Alaska was named one of four National TOY finalists. Walker is a high school science and career and technical education teacher who develops problem-based, career-oriented lessons with a focus on sustainability and stewardship of natural resources, while encouraging students to build empathy and collaboration to solve problems in their community. She supports students who are traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers by opening her classroom to business partners who allow them to envision themselves in future career pathways.
Walker has a Master of Arts in teaching from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and a Bachelor of Science in biology from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. She completed the Semester of Environmental Science at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and won the Eleanor B. Schick Award for Environmental Excellence from Brandeis University.
She is the Alaska science awardee for the 2015 Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. In 2019, Walker earned her National Geographic Educator Certification and attended the National Geographic Education Summit in Washington, D.C. In 2023, Walker was awarded the Alaska Marine Science Outreach Award, the National Science Teaching Association’s Shell Science Teaching Award and the Alaska Oil and Gas Association Teacher Grant. Walker is a 2023 Earthwatch Project Kindle Fellow and a 2023 National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow.
“Congratulations, Ms. Walker, for being recognized as one of the most exceptional teachers across the country,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy. “We are proud that you are representing Alaska with great distinction and excellence in education."
"Catherine's focus on collaboration, career-oriented lessons, and personal connections is benefiting her students in life-long ways," said the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development Commissioner Dr. Deena Bishop.
The finalists announced today will conduct interviews with the National Teacher of the Year Program’s Selection Committee, and CCSSO will announce the selected 2024 National Teacher of the Year later this spring. The 2024 National Teacher of the Year will spend the next year serving as an ambassador and advocate for all teachers and students.
More information about the 2024 State Teachers of the Year and CCSSO’s National Teacher of the Year Program is available at https://ntoy.ccsso.org/.
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The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development provides information, resources, and leadership to support over 130,000 students in 505 public schools across the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to ensure an “Excellent Education for Every Student Every Day.”
Media Contact: Caroline Hamp, Public Information Officer, (907) 465-6694
Alaska USSYP Contact: Dr. Bjorn Wolter
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