Chenal Elementary Principal Yolana Harris (far left) encourages students to cheer for fourth-grade math teacher Jeanie Wilcoxon (second from left), who was named Arkansas Teacher of the Year in a surprise announcement at the school Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Also pictured, left to right, Education Secretary Jacob Oliva, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, last year’s Teacher of the Year Beau McCastlain, state Sen. Mark Johnson and state Rep. Keith Brooks. (Photo by Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)
Jeanie Wilcoxon, a fourth-grade math teacher at Chenal Elementary School is the 2025 Arkansas Teacher of the Year.
Wilcoxon was recognized in a surprise ceremony at the school Friday morning by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Education Secretary Jacob Oliva.
“Jeanie Wilcoxon is the kind of teacher every parent wants their kids to have,” 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.”
Sanders and Oliva presented Wilcoxon with a $14,000 check, which is sponsored by the Walton Family Foundation.
Wilcoxon’s one-year tenure begins July 1, 2025, during which time she will travel the state promoting the teaching profession. The state teacher of the year also serves as a non-voting member of the State Board of Education. Beau McCastlain, the 2024 Teacher of the Year, attended Friday’s ceremony.
The new teacher of the year has 25 years of experience in the teaching profession, and her math students consistently rank in the top 3 percent on standardized tests, according to a press release from the Arkansas Department of Education.
“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.”
Oliva noted that as teacher of the year, Wilcoxon will help teachers statewide with her insights and best practices.
Charles McNulty, superintendent of Pulaski County School District praised Wilcoxon’s “commitment to excellence and her unwavering support for all students.”
Influenced by her high school algebra teacher, Wilcoxon has been a classroom teacher, high school coach, tutor and mentor teacher.
She has been with the Pulaski County Special School District since 2011, where she also served as an assistant high school volleyball coach from 2016 to 2022. From 2010 to 2011, she was a fifth-grade language arts teacher in the Dumas School District, and prior to that, she taught multiple grades at the Iberville Parish Schools in Plaquemine, Louisiana.
Wilcoxon is a graduate of Dumas High School and holds a bachelor of science in Elementary and Secondary Physical Education from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. She completed post-graduate work in elementary education at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
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. She also is a member of the Order of Omega leadership honor society.
Before being selected Arkansas Teacher of the Year, Wilcoxon was named an ATOY regional finalist, receiving a $1,000 prize, and an ATOY state semi-finalist, which included an additional $1,000. She is now eligible to apply for the National Teacher of the Year program.
To learn more about the ATOY program, visit https://dese.link/ATOY.