Press Release
August 31, 2022
Contact: Steve Hawkins
Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-0754
Steve.Hawkins@history.ok.gov
www.okhistory.org/historycenter
Oklahoma History Center Nominee Qualifies as Gilder Lehrman National History Teacher of the Year
OKLAHOMA CITY — Emily Busey, a teacher at Edmond Memorial High School in Edmond, has been named the 2022 Oklahoma History Teacher of the Year. This award is presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K–12 American history education. Busey was nominated for this honor by the Oklahoma History Center.
Emily Busey is in her eleventh year of teaching. She currently teaches AP U.S. history, government, and speech and debate. She has experience teaching both middle and high school. She holds a master’s degree in educational administration, curriculum and supervision and a bachelor’s degree in social studies education. Voted Central Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2018–2019, Busey was also a finalist for Edmond Public Schools Teacher of the Year. She continuously learns by attending a robust program of professional development courses. She served on the drafting committee for the revisions of the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies. Busey also mentors teachers entering the field.
Sally Stewart, assistant principal at Edmond Memorial High School, wrote of Busey, “Our students are so fortunate to have Ms. Busey in their classroom and in their lives. Ms. Busey shines in the classroom. There has never been a time that I have entered her classroom that there hasn’t been a buzz of excitement in the air.”
In addition to a $1,000 honorarium, Busey will receive a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials, recognition at a local ceremony in her honor, and becomes one of 53 finalists for the 2022 National History Teacher of the Year Award.
Inaugurated in 2004, the History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one K–12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and U.S. territories.
“Knowledgeable and impassioned teachers bring our country's history to life for students, allowing them to understand engaging with history is about more than a series of facts,” said James G. Basker, president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “Teachers are the lifeblood of our students’ education, and these are the best of the best.”
The winner of this year’s National History Teacher of the Year Award will be announced in October 2022. Past presenters of the award include the Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, Robin Roberts of “Good Morning America,” First Lady Laura Bush, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Nominations for the 2023 History Teacher of the Year Awards are now open. Students, parents, colleagues and supervisors may nominate K–12 teachers for the award by visiting gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy. The deadline for 2023 nominations is April 30, 2023.
The Oklahoma History Center is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and is an accredited member of the American Alliance of Museums. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
About the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education. The institute is the leading non-profit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations. The institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, the Council of Independent Colleges and the National Daughters of the American Revolution.
###
