WASHINGTON, D.C. — Every year, teachers across the nation not only educate their students in the classroom, but also inspire generations of future leaders. In an effort to celebrate and recognize some of America’s most formative educators, Independent Women began an inaugural “Teacher of the Year” search in August 2025.
In December, after conducting a months-long search evaluating dozens of outstanding nominations, Independent Women announced the 2025 “Teacher of the Year” finalists:
- Gabriela Tagliamonte, Wilson Middle School (Ohio)
- Megan Tucker, Hillsboro Charter Academy (Virginia)
- Monica Morton, The Bolles School (Florida)
- Rosella Sena, Santo Niño Regional Catholic School (New Mexico)
The finalists were interviewed and featured in the December Independent Women’s Features (IW Features) “Champion Women” profile highlighting their leadership in the classroom and commitment to students. IW Features is the grassroots storytelling and original journalism arm of Independent Women.
Today, Independent Women is thrilled to announce Megan Tucker has been named as the 2025 “Teacher of the Year.”
Tucker is currently a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) specialist, gifted teacher, and Dean of Curriculum at Hillsboro Charter Academy in Virginia, where she works with students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
Coming from a family filled with teachers, Tucker wanted to do something different, so she went to college to become a zookeeper. But after she began tutoring at a school as part of Auburn University’s work-study program, Tucker said she “fell in love” with teaching.
“I think teaching chose me. It’s really something I love to do. It’s in my blood,” she shared with IW Features.
For Tucker, “it’s not the big moments, really.” Instead, “[i]t’s the little ones that make me love my job every day. Making that small difference that you know later will make a huge difference in the kids.”
[Megan Tucker aboard a microgravity flight during spring 2025, where she conducted experiments created by her students in Nigeria and Virginia; Photo credit: Megan Tucker]
As a K-5 teacher, Tucker said that the most important thing a child learns as they grow through grade school is “how to have courageous conversations and get along with other people,” noting that “the soft skills are the most important thing.”
Those soft skills include “critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity—the skills that are hard to teach, where you have to give them the opportunities to have those grow in a scaffolded way. I would say [those are] just as important as learning grammar, math, facts, all of that—how to get along with others and how to be a good human,” Tucker told IW Features.
“We are thrilled to recognize Megan Tucker as our 2025 Teacher of the Year and, in doing so, acknowledge the importance of the work all teachers do,” said Neeraja Deshpande, policy analyst at Independent Women. “Tucker’s enthusiasm for teaching young children in some of their most formative years is inspiring, and Independent Women hopes, through our work, to help ensure more teachers like her are able to enter the profession and stay in the profession.”
Earlier in 2025, Independent Women released the report, “Give Teachers A Break: Cutting Red Tape to Unleash the Potential of America’s Great Teachers,” which revealed how teachers’ hands are often tied by a bureaucratic system that limits their ability to do their jobs effectively.
IW Features’ “Champion Women” series showcases the remarkable women who make up the fabric of America. These are women who inspire generations, give back to their communities, seek change for good, reach new heights, break barriers, tell the truth, care for their families, and believe in what they do.
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