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Kurt Russell is the epitome of Black excellence. Russell, a history teacher at Oberlin High School in Oberlin, OH, has been awarded the 2022 National Teacher of the Year title. The non-profit Council of Chief State School Officers chose him out of four finalists.
“Each and every day, my children bring a scent of respect, a scent of an eagerness to learn, and I am just fortunate that I am part of this great education,” Russell said on CBS Mornings.
Russell is a 25-year teaching veteran who was inspired to become a teacher after encountering his first Black male teacher in middle school. Now, he’s teaching right where he was born and raised, teaching classes like African American history, something he has taught since the late 1990s, and Race, Gender, and Oppression, a course he created.
“I try to make sure that my students have the most opportunity to learn, and the way I do that is through engagement — by allowing my students to see themselves in the curriculum, and by seeing themselves in the curriculum, students are growing,” he said.
The Oberlin High School educator aims to inspire younger people in the classroom; however, Russell
engages with the youth outside the school. He’s a faculty advisor for the student-led Black Student Union, and he’s the head coach of the school’s varsity basketball team, believing that basketball is an extension of the classroom. It’s where the youth can learn about teamwork and learn to handle difficulties and success.The history guru holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in history and minor in Black studies from the College of Wooster and a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction from Ashland University. And he’s furthering his education by taking courses in child development at Oakland City University.
On top of being the teacher of the year nationwide, he has been recognized as Teacher of The Year by the Oberlin Heritage Center and the Oberlin chapter of the NAACP. He was also recognized as the Lorain County Basketball Association Coach of the Year and the Northeast Ohio Coach of the Year.
As a reward for earning this title, Russell will meet educator and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden at the White House, in which he plans on discussing diversity when it comes to hiring in schools.