Ashlie Crosson, a high school English teacher at Mifflin County High School in Lewistown, is known in her community not just for what she teaches, but for how she teaches — by creating a safe, welcoming, and inspiring classroom where students are encouraged to find their voice, build confidence, and believe in themselves.
Her students say it is no surprise to them that Crosson was named the 2025 National Teacher of the Year — marking the first time a Pennsylvania educator has received this honor. She was also named the 2024 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.
Click here to watch students share what makes Ms. Crosson an exceptional teacher — and hear from Ashlie herself about why she’s dedicated to teaching, or read the transcript below.
As National Teacher of the Year, Crosson will represent educators across Pennsylvania and the nation while continuing to teach. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English/Journalism from Susquehanna University, a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Penn State University, and a Gifted Education Endorsement from Millersville University.
TRANSCRIPT
“I think Ms. Crosson is a good teacher because she engages with all the students.”
“She's willing to help you individually and meet your needs in any way.”
“Ms. Crosson is a good teacher because she provides a safe space for all of her students.”
“When I had Ms. Crosson she was very passionate about everything she did, and that's what made her a great teacher for me and I think that's ultimately what won her the award because she's so passionate about what she does, and she puts so much love in everything she does every day. And she really put that forth and that's why she deserves this award, and that's why she won it.”
“My name is Ashlie Crosson and I am the 2025 National Teacher of the Year.
“I was really shocked and a little bit overwhelmed. I work just within this community with tremendous teachers, and through this whole process, I have met phenomenal teachers all over our nation. So to think that I was going to have the opportunity to represent them and my own school and my own community on this huge sort of moment was very, it was very overwhelming, and it took a while for me to think that maybe this was something I could do.
“When you invest in teachers, you invest in the next generation of Pennsylvanians. This is where we sort of cultivate and help inspire our next, innovators, business leaders, trailblazers, government officials. Every profession comes out of a school in one way or another, through their career and technology courses, through their language classes, they learn to communicate. They learn to problem solve. They learn to see different perspectives and so when we invest into our schools, we are investing into our communities, which means we are investing in our Commonwealth.
“It's so rewarding and joyful to see students come into their own and find their voice and find what they're passionate about and what they believe in, and to see them overcome the things that we're giving them a challenge or making them ever experience any kind of self doubt. And so the opportunity to see that growth, and especially for me, because a lot of my students, I have multiple years in a row. And so to see who they become, and sort of watch that journey is like, that is the most rewarding career. I can't really imagine life without students.”
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