TIP Fellow Danina Garcia a Finalist for Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year May 29, 2026

TIP Fellow and Vaux High School Teacher was named one of 12 finalists for Pennsylvania State Teacher of the Year in May. On June 11th, she will join other finalists in Harrisburg, where the winner will be selected based on interviews and recordings of their teaching.

Sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the award is among the most prestigious recognitions for teachers nationwide. CCSSO provides winners from each state with a yearlong, one-of-a-kind professional learning and development experience. Among the State Teacher of the Year winners, one teacher is selected to be the National Teacher of the Year. The Award brings recognition to the importance of teaching profession around the country.

Garcia has been a TIP fellow since 2022 and has enrolled in five seminars and two workshops. She has also been a fellow and national steering committee representative to the Yale National Initiative, TIP’s parent program. Garcia is a National Board-certified English teacher, a 2003 graduate of the Philadelphia public school system and a fourth-generation schoolteacher. At Vaux Big Picture High School where she currently teaches, she was a founding staff member at the school’s reopening in 2017.