Past National Law-Related Education Teachers of the Year 

ALA National Teacher of the Year

Henderson High School

Henderson, Texas

BA in Journalism

Juris Doctorate 1999

ALA National Teacher of the Year

Raleigh Charter High School

Raleigh, North Carolina

BA in History

MA in Teaching Social Studies

Trumbull High School

Trumbull, Connecticut  

Vestavia HIlls High School

Vestavia Hills, AL

East Hampton High School

East Hampton, MA  

Pine Crest School – Upper

Pine Crest, Florida

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center, High School, Frisco, Texas

Debbie teaches high school courses in constitutional law civil law, criminal law, government, and court systems.  She manages approximately 140 students, develops and executes lessons, conferences and collaborates with all stakeholders, community outreach, district-level curriculum writer, and more!  Debbie was the 2015 Texas Teacher of the Year for the Texas Lawyers Auxiliary.  She is also an independent contractor with the State Bar of Texas Law-Related Education section.  She is a consultant, writer, and workshop presenter.  She is also an independent Contractor with the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center.  And in her spare time, she founded the Youth Safety and Civility Alliance with a diverse group of passionate high school students.  It is designed to encourage civil conversations in classrooms and at kitchen tables as we move through the 2020 presidential election.  Debbie lives in Plano, Texas, and teaches in Frisco, Texas. 

Sprague High School, Salem, Oregon

Jacqueline teaches AP Government and Political, Advanced Constitutional Law, Beginning Constitutional Law, and American Government in Sprague High School, in the Salem-Keizer School District in Oregon. She planned, developed, and implemented Advanced Placement, Social Studies, and Business curriculum focused on social justice and environmental awareness aligned with AP unit objectives, school learning targets, and district, state standard’s in addition to common core.   Among her many awards are the nomination and selection as State of Oregon Civic Scholar in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019; awarded Most Inspirational Teacher by the Sprague High School student body in 2013, 2014, and 2015.  In addition, she spends her own time attending seminars, conferences, institutes and workshops in order to provide more enrichment for her students. 

Vestavia Hills High School, Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Jane has been a teacher in Vestavia Hills High School in Alabama since 1979.  Her focus is on AP Microeconomics, AP US Government and Politics, AP Comparative Government and Politics.  She is also responsible for the Economics Challenge teams, Scholars Bowl, and We the People:  The Citizen and the Constitution team, Youth in Government program.  In addition to her Master of Arts in Education, she also has a Juris Doctorate from Duke University School of Law with honors.    In addition to her classroom activities, she is an IB Examine/Team Leader, mentor for National Board Certified Teacher candidates, James Madison Legacy Institute mentor teacher for Tennessee and Alabama, author for AP Microeconomics, AP US Government and Politics, and AP comparative Government and politics .  She was a State Secondary Economics Teach of the Year in 2009.

Hillsborough High School - Hillsborough, New Jersey

Huntley High School - Huntley, Illinois

Franklin High School - Reisterstown, Maryland

Centreville High School, Clifton, Virginia

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Massapequa High School

Massapequa, New York

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Plainfield High School, Plainsfield, Indiana

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