NJEA is proud to partner with the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), New Jersey School Boards and Educational Testing Services (ETS) on the Teacher of the Year program. We are proud to announce that Hannah Olmo from Morris County has been selected as the 2026-2027 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year.
Hannah has worked as a high school dance teacher in the Dover School District since 2018. Hannah also serves as a dance club advisor, Latin mix club advisor, musical choreographer and National Honor Society of Dance Arts chapter sponsor. She has earned a master’s degree from Rutgers University in dance education.
Hannah’s passion and vision for dance education transcends the classroom as she creates opportunities for students that build confidence, provide space for self-expression and allow them to discover what could become a lifelong connection to the arts. Hannah’s commitment to equitable dance education began at the age of 16 when she started to advocate for dance as it was the only art form at her high school that was not offered as part of a free public education. That experience inspired her to ensure students could access dance regardless of their financial circumstances or prior training. At Dover High School, she built a four-year dance program and founded the Dance Club and the school’s first chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, while also revitalizing Latin Mix, a club celebrating students’ heritage through dance. More than 80 students now participate in extracurricular dance programs, and Dance Club participation has grown more than 300% in two years. Each spring, she produces the district’s largest performing arts event, featuring more than 100 student performers and drawing more than 600 community members.
“Hannah’s passion for teaching isn’t the only thing that stands out; it is that she identified a gap in arts education and built something meaningful to fill it. Long before she became an educator, Hannah understood that access to the arts was not equal for every student. She turned that realization into action and ultimately into a career devoted to changing that reality for her students,” NJEA President Steve Beatty said. “In turn, Hannah has created opportunities for students to study dance, perform, lead and even imagine a future for themselves that may not have seemed possible. That kind of vision changes lives, strengthens public education and illustrates why Hannah is this year’s New Jersey State Teacher of the Year.”
NJEA Vice President Petal Robertson said Hannah’s work reflects the power of making the arts truly accessible and how public schools can expand opportunities for all students. “We should not live in a world where students have to choose between pursuing something they love and whether their family can afford it,” Robertson said. “Hannah has made dance part of the educational experience for students who might otherwise not have that opportunity, and she has found a way that honors their identities, talents and potential. That kind of impact changes generations and the Dover School District has provided that to its students through Hannah’s dance program.”
“Dance has become a place where Hannah’s students can discover just how much they are capable of,” NJEA Secretary-Treasurer Tina Dare said. “What Hannah has created is so much bigger than a dance program. She’s created a place of belonging, self-discovery and access that otherwise may not have been attainable. Her students are learning to create, collaborate, take the lead and trust their own voices and ideas. Hannah has built a program that gives students both a stage and a voice, and that goes far beyond any single performance. The kind of support and access Hannah provides for her students is life changing.”
Some of the perks of being the New Jersey Teacher of the Year are that Olmo is entitled to an all-expense paid, six-month sabbatical, from January through June 2027, to attend national and state conferences, to tour the state visiting classrooms and to work on various initiatives at the New Jersey Department of Education, courtesy of program sponsor ETS. NJEA will provide technology equipment and a rental car, equipped with EZ Pass, to help her travel to speaking engagements and meetings across the state. NJEA will also provide complimentary access to all major NJEA workshops and training opportunities, a $500 clothing allowance, media training and communications support, and funding for a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with the other state teachers of the year and the President of the United States.