Penns Valley educator is a finalist for PA’s Teacher of the Year. Here’s why
A Centre County educator is in contention for a major award.
The Penns Valley Area School District’s Elizabeth Troxell is one of 12 finalists in the running for Pennsylvania’s 2026 Teacher of the Year, the commonwealth’s Department of Education announced Friday. Troxell, a world history teacher at Penns Valley Area High School, has taught within the district since 2013.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education will announce its Teacher of the Year winner at a state awards ceremony in early December, the agency said. The winner will later represent Pennsylvania at local, regional and national functions, including the National Teacher of the Year ceremony at the White House.
Penns Valley Superintendent Brian Griffith said Troxell’s nomination as a finalist didn’t come as much of a shock.
“She is a fantastic educator. I am very proud of her, but I’m not surprised,” Griffith told the Centre Daily Times. “She is top-notch and creates dynamic, engaging learning environments for her students. She goes above and beyond and is one of the talented teachers who can help students think in challenging ways without them even knowing. That is a true gift, and she’s one of the gifted teachers in Pennsylvania.”
Troxell has taught world history for more than a decade at Penns Valley High School. She also serves as a 10th grade class advisor, volunteers as a History Club advisor and supports other extracurricular activities, Griffith said.
While discussing Troxell’s work as an educator, Griffith recalled an innovative lesson she led earlier in the school year. Her students were studying the concept of bureaucracy and, through Troxell’s innovative thinking, partnered with Penns Valley administrators and school board members to see how bureaucracy functioned within a school district. Officials worked with students to examine how bureaucracy can support a school system and the drawbacks it may create.
Troxell earned a degree in secondary education from Slippery Rock University before obtaining her master’s degree in classroom technology from Wilkes University, according to her online directory page with Penn State’s Center for Global Studies. Troxell previously contributed to some of the center’s high school-level educator curricular materials, including a lesson on water sustainability.
According to her online directory page, Troxell recently built a house in Penns Valley with her husband and lives with her three sons.
Pennsylvania’s Teacher of the Year program works to identify and honor exemplary teaching and classroom practices throughout the commonwealth. The award ultimately recognizes “a professional who inspires students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn; who has the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues; and who plays an active and useful role in both school and community,” the Pennsylvania Department of Education said.
“Ask anyone if they remember the teacher who inspired them most, and nearly everyone will immediately smile and name an educator from their past,” Carrie Rowe, Pennsylvania’s acting secretary of education, wrote in a statement. “Excellent educators make a lifelong impact on the learners they serve each day in classrooms across the Commonwealth, and these 12 finalists demonstrate the qualities needed in a great teacher — supportive, engaged, and passionate about the learners in their care.”
Troxell’s nomination is the latest major achievement for a Centre County educator. Back in January, State College Area High School principal Laura Tobias was named Pennsylvania’s 2025 Principal of the Year by the Pennsylvania Principals Association. She is now a candidate to become National Secondary Principal of the Year later this summer.
This story was originally published May 19, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
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