ASHLAND – The Ohio State Board of Education has announced its four finalists for 2025 Ohio Teacher of the Year, and two of them – Jennifer Winkler (class of 2012) and Daneé Pinckney (class of 2019, M.Ed.) – are graduates of Ashland University.
From a group of 11 district winners, the Ohio Teacher of the Year Selection Committee selected Winkler of Green Local Schools, Pinckney of Twinsburg City Schools and the other two finalists based on written applications.
Finalists will be interviewed by the selection committee and the winner will be announced at the beginning of the 2024–25 academic year.
Winkler, who holds a double bachelor’s degree in art education and fine arts, has been an art teacher for grades 6-12 at Green Middle School and Smithville High School in Wayne County since 2014.
She leads the art club and serves as the prom chaperone. She was previously a member of the school’s Building Leadership Team and District Leadership Team. During the summer, she teaches at Ashland University’s art camp.
Winkler’s goal is to bring out the best in her students by introducing them to new art media and technologies.
Through numerous fundraisers and grants, she transformed a former traditional art space into one of the few public school programs with its own glassblowing, glass blowing, plastic and ceramic 3D printing, laser engraving, gem cutting, and traditional pottery equipment.
In her own art, Winkler specializes in steel sculpture and glasswork; her work has recently been featured in exhibitions at the Akron Art Museum, Mansfield Art Center, Ohio University, and Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens.
In 2021, she was one of 17 teachers from across the country selected for a residency at the Cleveland Institute of Art.
Pinckney holds a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction from AU and is an 11th and 12th grade English teacher at Twinsburg High School.
According to her biography on the State Board of Education website, she is “constantly looking for new opportunities to challenge herself professionally and personally.”
“For example, she developed a high school course on African American literature that met the need for representation from both students and community members. She received funding to support its implementation, and her efforts have enriched the educational experiences of all students and staff.
“Using literature as an anchor, Pinckney works to encourage students to get involved in community service and activist projects, instilling a sense of social responsibility and civic engagement. Her students most recently worked with students in Ghana, leading a school-wide project to build global community and empathy.”
Pinckney’s dedication has resulted in numerous recognitions, including being named a Martha Holden Jennings Foundation Master Teacher Finalist, Twinsburg City Schools’ 2023 Teacher of the Year, and a 2023 Fund for Teachers Fellow.
Since its inception in 1964, the Ohio Teacher of the Year program has annually recognized outstanding teachers across the state and recognized them for their successful work inside and outside the classroom.
The mission of the program is to provide exemplary teachers with the opportunity to develop their careers as leaders and advocates for public education.
