Haverford High School history educator named 2025 Pennsylvania teacher of the year
A beloved teacher in Delaware County got the surprise of a lifetime Thursday morning.
Haverford High School's marching band put on a parade outside the classroom of AP U.S. History teacher Leon Smith to celebrate a big achievement.
Out of 660 nominations, Smith was chosen as the 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. He was honored by a teacher's organization and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
"I'm not better than any teacher here," Smith said. "I've learned so much from the other teachers here, and the students and teachers here benefit from all the excellent educators we have in this school."
Smith joined the parade through the school as hundreds of students lined the halls to congratulate him.
Students said the recognition is well deserved.
"He really cares about what he does and the kids he's teaching, and you can tell," senior Lucy Filkin said.
Tenth grader Johanna Zewdie said Smith inspired her to become a teacher.
"I truly believe he's a role model," Zewdie said. "Everybody's doing a job, but I feel he's going above and beyond."
Smith said he views teaching not just as a job but as a mission to change the world.
"Less than 2% of all teachers are Black men in the United States of America, so I really want to try to encourage more people to become teachers and really because teachers of color have such a positive impact on all students," Smith said.
Smith will represent Pennsylvania in the National Teacher of The Year competition. The winner will be selected in the spring.
