Colleen Keough, Schenectady Federation of Teachers
When students enter Colleen Keough’s second grade classroom at Hamilton Elementary School in Schenectady, they know they are coming into a space where they are loved. In fact, it hangs on the classroom wall.
“Before they leave this class, we always say, ‘I love you. You matter. You can do anything. And I believe in you,’” said Keough.
Within the walls of the school, Keough is known as an anchor point: a person around whom the entire building orbits. Nowhere is that seen more than in her efforts to revive the school mascot — the Hamilton Husky.
The students at Hamilton Elementary know they have a fierce advocate for getting what they need and deserve. Whether that means supporting older students when they prepare to take state tests, or making sure students have a safe place for an important part of every school day — recess. Keough was instrumental in an effort to complete the school playground, making call after call until the job was done.
The sense of community at Hamilton is felt strongest in Keough’s classroom, where every year she makes and serves her students a Thanksgiving dinner that combines traditional fixings with other foods from across the globe.
Literacy is also important and Keough makes sure learning is fun. Every year, she and her colleagues head to student homes in the neighborhoods surrounding the school and drops off a bag full of books. Those bags also contain fun activities and if the students return the bag, then Keough and her colleagues will sneak back and do it all over again, dropping off a new selection of books and activities.
Keough had previously turned down being Schenectady Teacher of the Year. But when she saw the nomination letters that students had written for her, she changed her mind.
“Ms. Keough takes the time to talk to me and calm me down,” reads one of the student letters. “She makes me feel safe, because I know she cares. She cares about everybody at Hamilton.”
Now, she’s the 2025 New York State Teacher of the Year.
“I don’t know if they’ll remember everything we did in second grade. But I’ll always want them to remember that they are important and they are loved.”