Luisa Sparrow, a special education teacher in Boston, has been named Massachusetts Teacher of the Year for her commitment to inclusion. She works with fifth and sixth grade students, focusing on making sure all students, including those with intellectual disabilities, feel included in the classroom and school community.
Sparrow is part of the inclusion planning team at the Oliver Hazard Perry School and started a Cooking Club that brings together general education students and students with intellectual disabilities to cook and learn together. She believes that building relationships between students is key to helping them feel comfortable and confident.
Sparrow has been teaching for 16 years. After earning her degree from Cornell University, she began her teaching career in Texas. Although she initially taught science, her passion for working with students with special needs grew when she started working with special education students. She realized how much students benefited from working together, and this experience inspired her to switch to special education.
Sparrow later earned a master’s degree from Harvard in education, focusing on language and literacy. She has taught in various places, including Texas, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Costa Rica, but has spent the past eight years at the Perry School. At her current school, she teaches a special education class and regularly includes general education students in her lessons and projects.
In addition to her classroom work, Sparrow serves as a mentor for teachers and works with foster youth and seniors, helping document their life stories. She is the 63rd Massachusetts Teacher of the Year and the eighth recipient from Boston Public Schools. As the winner, she will be nominated for National Teacher of the Year.
Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler praised Sparrow for her dedication to supporting all students and creating an inclusive learning environment.