State Board honors 11 teachers, unveils 'United States of Kindness' partnership

President Larew opened the State Board of Education ceremony by welcoming families, school staff and "our Ohio teacher of the year cohort," and recounted early Ohio education history to frame the day's recognitions. "I would like to welcome family, friends, school folks, and most importantly, our Ohio teacher of the year cohort," the president said at the start of the program.

Angela, the coordinator of the Ohio Teacher of the Year program, outlined how the cohort was selected and stressed that nominations are open to the public. "Did you know anybody can nominate a teacher? Anybody," she said, describing a process that begins with classroom nominations, proceeds through regional selection panels and yields an 11-member state cohort and four finalists.

Ohio's State Superintendent praised the cohort and emphasized the role of kindness in classrooms, saying that the teachers' "love for Ohio students" and "that love, that kindness... it just shines through." The superintendent noted the scale of Ohio public education while framing the…