Leon Smith | 2026 National Teacher of the Year

Jeremy Singer sits down with Leon Smith, the Council of Chief State School Officers’ (CCSSO) 2026 National Teacher of the Year. An AP teacher with a 25-year career, Smith explains why a sense of belonging is essential to learning, how he’s adapting to teaching in the age of AI, and why he wants his AP students to embrace “nuance and complexity.” He and Jeremy also address common critiques of Advanced Placement, including who AP is for and whether it’s just memorization.