Mason Middle School Science Teacher Named Ohio Teacher Of The Year

MASON, OH -- Alison Sears, Mason City Schools, Middle School Science, State Board District 4 was named as one of the 11 chosen to move forward to be one of the final four finalist for 2025 Teacher of the Year by The State Board of Education of Ohio.

This cohort of recognized teachers will serve as ambassadors for public education and the teaching profession in Ohio. The next steps allow four of the eleven to move to the final selection phase for the 2025 Ohio Teacher of the Year who will represent Ohio teachers statewide and nationally during the 2024 – 2025 school year.

Since its inception in 1964, the Ohio Teacher of the Year program annually identifies exceptional teachers statewide celebrating their effective work in and outside the classroom. The program's mission is to provide opportunities for professional learning to exemplary teachers as leaders and advocates for public education.

Selected teachers move through two levels of recognition: (1) the State Board District Teacher of the Year as a regional recognition and (2) the Ohio Teacher of the Year as the state-level recognition.

Along with Mason City School's Sears, the other 10 teachers named are:

• Melinda Newell, Upper Sandusky Exempted Village, Middle School Science, State Board District 1 Teacher of the Year
• Kimberly Haney, Amherst Exempted Village, High School Medical Health Technology, State Board District 2 Teacher of the Year
• Justin Stone, Trotwood-Madison City Schools, High School Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, State Board District 3 Teacher of the Year
• Michelle Dohrmann, West Clermont Local Schools, High School Teacher Academy - Speech, English & Education, State Board District 5 Teacher of the Year
• Treva Bolton, Logan-Hocking School District, High School English Language Arts, State Board District 6 Teacher of the Year
• Amanda Schaeffer, Hilliard City Schools, Middle School Visual Art, State Board District 7 Teacher of the Year
• Aaron Davis, Indian Valley Local School District, High School Social Studies, State Board District 8 Teacher of the Year
• Jennifer Bindus, Aurora City Schools, Elementary (3rd Grade), State Board District 9 Teacher of the Year
• Daneé Pinckney, Twinsburg City Schools, High School English Language Arts, State Board District 10 Teacher of the Year
• Jennifer Winkler, Green Local Schools, Middle and High School Visual Art, State Board District 11 Teacher of the Year

Learn more about the Ohio Teacher of the Year program, these outstanding educators, and watch a video of the 2025 cohort announcement on the Ohio Teacher of the Year webpage.

More News from Franklin

• Cincinnati Bengals to Support the Kettering Health Crucial Catch Fund Cincinnati Bengals, The Cincy Hat, Prolink, Great Clips and Metabilia will all support Crucial Catch Fund this season.
• Work With Newborns Opens New Career Paths For UC Senior Speech language hearing sciences student screens newborns’ hearing at hospital