LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Fourth-grade math teacher Jeanie Wilcoxon at Chenal Elementary School was named the 2025 Arkansas Teacher of the Year in a surprise announcement by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva.
“Jeanie Wilcoxon is the kind of teacher every parent wants their kids to have,” Gov. Sanders said. “Whether it’s in math class, the LEGO club, or the coding club, Jeanie finds ways to ensure every subject is fun and every student has the skills they need to succeed. Congratulations to Jeanie for being this year’s Arkansas Teacher of the Year. I look forward to working with her to implement bold, transformative change across Arkansas’ education landscape.”
With 25 years of teaching experience under her belt, she's been with the Pulaski County Special School District since 2011. Before that, she was a fifth-grade language arts teacher in the Dumas School District and taught multiple grades at the Iberville Parish Schools in Plaquemine, LA.
She was named the Pulaski County Special School District Teacher of the Year for 2023-2024 and the Iberville Parish Teacher of the Year for 2006-2007.
“Ms. Wilcoxon serves as the perfect example of excellence in teaching,” Oliva said. “Not only is this evident in her daily interactions with students in her classroom, but it also is reflected in her students’ test scores. Ms. Wilcoxon has achieved significant learning gains with her students, and we look forward to working alongside her, as she shares her best practices in teaching with the rest of the state.”
Wilcoxon was awarded a $14,000 award sponsored by the Walton Family Foundation and is eligible to apply for the National Teacher of the Year program.
Her one-year tenure as ATOY will begin on July 1, 2025. To learn more about the program, click here.
