Phoenix educator to be first from Arizona in National Teachers Hall of Fame

PHOENIX — An educator in the Phoenix Union High School District will be the first from Arizona to be inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

Kareem Neal, a special education teacher at Maryvale High School, will be honored in June in Emporia, Kansas.

Neal will be one of five teachers inducted in the hall’s 30th class, according to a press release from the district.

“I’m super proud of my 20+ years of work and wish I could share every piece of the plaque with the 100s of students I’ve taught in my career,” Neal said in a tweet.

Neal has 23 years of teaching experience, including the last 15 years on the Maryvale campus.

He’s coached the freshman girls basketball team, sponsored the Maryvale Diversity Club and has been a Unified Special Olympics coach during his tenure in addition to his teaching duties.

Neal was also named Arizona State Teacher of the Year in 2019.

Neal and the other inductees will take part in a roundtable discussion, participate in community events and be honored at a banquet while in Kansas.

The inductees will also be honored in May at a National Education Association reception in Washington, D.C.

The other hall of famers are from New Jersey, California, Ohio and Connecticut.

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