MI teacher’s national award highlights powerful influence of educators
By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO
I’m incredibly proud that a teacher from Michigan was recently selected as the annual winner of a prestigious national educational excellence award, as it highlights that great things are happening in public schools throughout our state.
Matt Hamilton, a teacher at East Jordan Middle/High School in Charlevoix County, has been named the 2025 recipient of the National Education Association Foundation’s Award for Teaching Excellence, one of the highest honors in public education.
In addition to his work teaching seventh-grade history and high school video production, Hamilton is the founder of the school’s renowned “Shoe Club.” The club collects shoes from notable people around the world to reinforce the importance of self-worth, hard work and dedication to lofty goals.
Under the slogan “Value yourself and value others,” the club’s collection includes autographed sneakers from Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Michael Jordan; signed red pumps from Dolly Parton; black casual shoes from Nobel Prize-winning biologist Elizabeth Blackburn; ski boots from Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin; brown high-heels from Oprah Winfrey, black loafers from Holocaust survivor and author Henry Oster; and many more.
Hamilton has also given his students the opportunity to video chat with notable people, such as four-time Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards and cell phone inventor Martin Cooper. His students even connected with polar explorer Robert Swan live from Antarctica.
In addition to learning life lessons through the stories of notable people, Hamilton’s students gain valuable leadership and life skills through student-led community service projects.
One such project was East Jordan’s “Honor and Service” project. Hamilton and his students raised $163,000 from the community to make much-needed improvements to Grand Armory of the Republic Park, a mini-park that pays tribute to Civil War veterans.
Another time, through the Shoe Club’s “Solar Spark” initiative, Hamilton’s students raised over $70,000 to install a 30-kilowatt solar panel system at East Jordan Middle/High School, helping make their building more sustainable while saving on energy costs.
The Shoe Club also launched a “Seed to Salad” program, through which Hamilton’s students revitalized the local elementary school’s garden through a combination of hands-on work and community outreach. Students raised enough money to build a hoop house for year-round gardening and a composting system. Along the way, Hamilton’s students mentored younger students by showing them how to grow their own fruits and vegetables. The produce grown by students is now served in the school district’s cafeterias.
Hamilton is one of those amazing teachers whose students will never forget. By nurturing their talents and giving them confidence, Hamilton provides students with valuable tools for facing the world and becoming productive members of society.
There are educators like Matt Hamilton working in public schools across Michigan. Maybe they haven’t won awards, but they are out there, working closely with students, parents and their communities to create a brighter future.
However, there aren’t enough. Michigan schools — especially in rural and urban areas — continue to struggle with a shortage of qualified educators.
As local, state and federal policymakers examine the multitude of education reform proposals out there, they must prioritize educator retention.
The recipe for attracting and retaining great educators isn’t that complicated. To get the best and brightest working in our kids’ schools, our elected leaders must dramatically increase educator compensation, listen to the voices of frontline school employees when crafting education policies, and respect educators for the professionals they are.
Fixing Michigan’s educator shortage is not only possible — it’s essential for our children’s future.
After all, every student, no matter where they live, deserves a Matt Hamilton in their life.
Labor Voices
Labor Voices columns are written on a rotating basis by United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, Michigan Education Association President Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights Executive Secretary-Treasurer Tom Lutz and selected Service Employees International Union members.
