There was never a doubt in Kurt Russell’s mind.
From a very early time — kindergarten, in fact — Russell could see his future. It came into focus as his teacher, Francine Toss, opened book after book where Russell could see himself reflected in the pages.
“She was intentional about really making sure her students saw themselves in the curriculum,” Russell says.
Then there was his eighth grade teacher, Larry Thomas.
“He was the first Black male teacher I ever had,” Russell says. “In him, I saw myself. I learned how to carry myself as a Black man. Everybody loved Mr. Thomas. He was just a kind soul.”
Together, those two experiences gave Russell a clear path. “Many people say they were born to be a teacher. I would say I was shaped and molded to be a teacher.”
Russell, a veteran history teacher and basketball coach at Oberlin High School, was named the 2022 National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers. As part of the award, the council is providing Russell with “a yearlong, one-of-a-kind professional learning and development experience.”
Russell is using the time to shape his message of representation and share it with his fellow educators through a series of talks and events. “I made it a point to try to move the needle toward a more equitable society and creating a solution to some problems,” he says. “We bring what is happening [in the world] into the classroom. We come up with ideas that are suitable for this nation.”
Just like the teachers who made their mark on him, Russell is always “making sure that students see themselves in the classroom.”
On top of all of that, Russell layers another goal — vigorous free speech and debate.
“Many times, teachers walking by my classroom have to close my door because we get so loud,” he says. “We laugh in my classroom. We yell at one another. We cry. But it’s safe. It’s student-led.”
Russell’s teaching style — and outlook on life — is also informed by his parents, both of whom grew up in Alabama. “My mother marched with Martin Luther King Jr. as a sophomore in high school. I heard their stories of growing up in the South, living through Jim Crow, going to the doctor’s office and being waited on last. All of those stories.”
Russell, a father of two grown sons, is a lifelong resident of Oberlin and says he and his wife, Donna, can’t imagine ever leaving.
“I’ve been here 26 years,” he says. “Oberlin shaped me and Oberlin raised me and instilled within me some values I appreciated. It’s a mindset of service.”