For three straight decades, Michigan State University’s College of Education has led the nation in elementary and secondary education. Alumni are making a global impact in classrooms and communities, with nearly 74% choosing to stay and strengthen Michigan’s educational landscape. Among them, three have earned the prestigious Michigan Teacher of the Year title in the last four years.
Kelley Cusmano, B.A. ‘04, M.A. ‘09
The newest Spartan to win the top-honor is two-time alum Kelley Cusmano. She earned the honor for 2024-25. Cusmano began teaching at Rochester High School 17 years ago and currently instructs tenth-grade honors English. Throughout her time in the field, she has taught over one dozen English-related courses.
Cusmano describes her style as fair but firm with students, noting that high school students especially respond well to her honesty. “My philosophy is that [when] you’re honest with students, they give a lot of weight to what you’re saying,” she said. “I think I’m known for having a big heart, but there’s some tough love mixed in, which has allowed me to grow deeper connections.”
“Mrs. Cusmano is a teacher you can always go to,” said one student. “She can be hard on us, but it’s because she expects great things. She does it out of love and always wants the best for us.”
Cusmano believes one of her most important duties as an educator is to help her students visualize how they can impact the world by applying the skills they learn in the classroom. Her favorite part of the role is the relationships she’s built with students, namely through serving as the staff advisor for the RHS Student Council.
“Student government teaches my students leadership skills for life. It helps them understand how to be the kind of person that is going to impact humanity,” she said.
Cusmano’s time in East Lansing was formative to her career as an educator. Specifically, she reflected on the course “Human Diversity, Power and Opportunity in Social Institutions,” TE 250, as an eye-opening experience that she references in her classroom to this day. “The course really drilled home the impact education has on society and the importance of providing equal access to diverse populations,” she said.
Candice Jackson, B.A. ‘01, M.A. ‘04
Candice Jackson, who was recognized in 2023-24, became just the third African American to receive the award and first educator from Detroit Public School Community District in 16 years. A third-grade teacher at Mann Learning Community, Jackson has been teaching in DPSCD for close to 25 years.
She began her Spartan journey as an accounting major, but after participating in a university-sponsored program that paired students with children to educate them on basic economic and accounting principles, she found her calling as an educator.
Following her completion of the Teacher Preparation Program in 2001, Jackson earned a master’s degree from the college’s Curriculum and Instruction program in 2004 – ranked No. 1 according to U.S. News and World Report – which provided a solid foundation for leadership in the classroom. Upon entering the profession, Jackson reflected on her experience growing up in Macomb County with very few African American teachers and realized the importance of students relating to their teachers.
“Although I had other options, I thought that it was important to make sure that there were people like me entering the College of Education and into the workforce. It’s important for kids to see people that look like me in this position,” she said. In 2019, the Michigan Center for Educational Performance and Information reported a 15% racial gap of African American teachers to students at DPSCD.
Jackson has mentored teachers in Detroit as an instructional coach through a professional development program called Master Teachers, where she is allotted half days throughout the year to provide a range of support to her peers in the district.
Leah Porter, B.A. ‘04, M.A. ‘09
Now in her 20th year of service, 2021-22 MTOY Leah Porter teaches third grade at Wilcox Elementary in Holt, MI. Porter has held a variety of roles, including teaching kindergarten, serving as a Reading Recovery(C) teacher, teacher leader and interventionist.
“What made me realize that teaching was the best profession in the world was when I began working directly with students,” she said. “Understanding that you have the opportunity to change the trajectory of a child's life each day is an incredibly humbling experience, and one I take very seriously. It is an absolute joy to support and encourage students to find their confidence and path.”
After teaching kindergarten for several years, Porter experienced an unforgettable moment in 2019 when her first class of students graduated from high school. “Watching them walk through the hallways of my school in their caps and gowns before graduation was incredibly moving,” she said. “Being a child's first teacher and seeing them grow into confident, remarkable individuals is something I will always cherish.”
Porter credits the College of Education with shaping her journey as an educator, offering opportunities to grow through hands-on experience and a tight-knit community. Working with the same cohort during her junior and senior years allowed her to build deep connections—bonds strengthened by shared victories, challenges and long nights of studying.
Recently, Porter was appointed to the Michigan Department of Education’s newly formed Committee for Literacy Achievement. This panel of educators, researchers and literacy experts was created to address the state’s urgent literacy challenges and to ensure that effective, research-based practices are implemented in schools statewide.