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High school English teacher named state’s National Teacher of the Year nominee

Kabby Hong, of Verona Area High School, has more than two decades in education
Tuesday, July 20, 2021

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MADISON — The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction today announced Wisconsin’s representative to the National Teacher of the Year Program is Kabby Hong, an English teacher at Verona Area High School.
 
Hong has more than 20 years of experience in education, and earlier this year was among a group of five teachers named 2022 Wisconsin Teachers of the Year. He was selected to be the state’s representative for the National Teacher of the Year Program by a committee comprised of educators, partner organization representatives, and past Wisconsin Teachers of the Year.
 
“Kabby is an exemplary teacher who finds ways to make a difference in the lives of his students,” State Superintendent Jill Underly said. “As a Korean-American immigrant, Kabby worked diligently to learn and understand English as a child. I have no doubt that his own learning experiences as an English-learner provided him that unique window into the subject he now excels in teaching. He is incredibly deserving of this high honor, and I know he will do a fantastic job representing Wisconsin on a national stage.”
 
Hong is a National Board Certified Teacher who has given several presentations for The New York Times on argumentative writing and boasts awards from Stanford University and the University of Chicago for his effectiveness as a teacher. He said in his application that, outside of educating students on the English language, he prides himself by contributing to positive social change.
 
As Wisconsin’s National Teacher of the Year representative, Hong will receive $6,000 from the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation, and will participate alongside other state representatives in various professional learning opportunities provided by the Council of Chief State School Officers. A National Teacher of the Year is selected from the group and travels nationally and internationally as a spokesperson and advocate for the teaching profession. For more information on the program, visit CCSSO’s website here.

Official Release

dpinr2021-39.pdf