Seth Brady, a social studies teacher at Naperville Central High School, has been named a recipient of the 2024 Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence.
A top honor in public education, the award is given to five educators annually. Recipients are chosen by the NEA Foundation, a national nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C.
The 2024 honorees were announced this week.
Brady, a Naperville Central teacher for 19 years, says the award affirms his work.
“This is a job that becomes intertwined with who you are as a person so getting that kind of recognition is really exciting,” he said Friday. “I feel a real sense of gratitude for all of the students and colleagues and many others who nurtured my career and my path.”
Previously a survey researcher, Brady switched to teaching two decades ago and has taught at Naperville Central since 2004. With his classes, Brady primarily focuses on cultural studies, teaching courses in world cultures, comparative religions, peace and conflict studies, and humanities.
The Illinois Education Association nominated Brady for the 2024 Horace Mann Award.
Chosen from a national pool of nominations, honorees are selected by an expert panel, according to the NEA Foundation website. Skill in the classroom, attention to equity and diversity, engagement of families and communities, commitment to ongoing professional development, and advocacy for the profession are qualities the panel considers when choosing recipients.
“These educators are beacons of inspiration in their diverse school communities across the country and beyond,” Sara Sneed, president and CEO of the NEA Foundation, said in a news release. “They represent the very best in public education and have made a significant impact not only in their schools but also on the educator profession.”
The impact, Brady said, goes both ways. “(A)s much as this award is being given to me, the reality is that it is a reflection of (Naperville Central) and the colleagues that I’ve been lucky enough to engage with here, as well as across the state and the nation.”
Brady also recognized that being one of five public educators to receive the 2024 Horace Mann Award “is a privilege that many teachers don’t get.”
“Really, all teachers should be recognized,” he said.
Brady and the four other 2024 Horace Mann recipients will be honored during a program in May in Washington, D.C. Each awardee will receive $10,000.
