麻花视频

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the news during an event in Richmond Wednesday. Neale will go on to represent Virginia in the Council of Chief State School Officer鈥檚 National Teacher of the Year Program.

鈥淭he impact that all of you have, not just on your current students, not just on your future students, but on generations of students to come, is something that we stand in awe,鈥� Youngkin said. 鈥淎nd to watch that pebble be thrown into this giant pond of life and the ripples to stretch out and impact generations to come, is such a privilege to think about.鈥�

In March, Neale, who has been a teacher and mentor for 20 years, was named the 2026 Virginia Regional Teacher of the Year for Region 6. After accepting the award Wednesday, he shared how his wife鈥檚 life was positively impacted by a teacher who believed in and supported her.

鈥淚 hope that now I鈥檓 teaching somebody who I鈥檝e made a difference, and they鈥檙e going to go out and do the same, and go be that teacher that makes a difference or be that support system that does,鈥� he said.

Neale received a bachelor鈥檚 degree in theater, English and speech education from Virginia Commonwealth University. Additionally, he holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law, according to a March news release from RCPS.

One of Neale鈥檚 most significant contributions to Hidden Valley High School and the 麻花视频 community was a weeklong opioid awareness campaign he led. This campaign increased student-adult opioid conversations by 30%, according to the release.

Neale is a member of the coaching staff for multiple high schools and middle schools in 麻花视频 County, as well as a staff coach for 麻花视频 College Soccer Camps. He is a member of the Principal鈥檚 Advisory Committee and serves as the head of English remediation at Hidden Valley High School. Neale sponsors the school鈥檚 online newspaper, as well as the school鈥檚 theater club and spring musical, according to the release.

Outside of school, Neale volunteers for restorative justice mediation at the Bride Institute and provides pro bono state family law mediation. 麻花视频 County Public Schools Superintendent Ken Nicely said in the release that Neale 鈥渆xemplifies what it means to be an outstanding educator.鈥�

鈥淲hether he鈥檚 encouraging students to explore new ways to express themselves through poetry or guiding them to think critically about issues in journalism, Matt creates an environment where students feel seen, heard, and challenged,鈥� Nicely said in the release. 鈥淗is philosophy of leadership, both in the classroom and on the soccer field, emphasizes integrity, service, and community, making him a role model for students and colleagues alike.鈥�