Meet 2016's 'Teacher Of The Year'

Here & Now kicks off a series examining K-12 education in the United States by talking to a history teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Jahana Hayes was named National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers. The first in her family to graduate from college, Hayes says the key to teaching is paying attention to "the whole child," or finding out what each student needs to stay engaged in class.

Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson talks with Hayes about her 12 years teaching, and her unique perspective on education.

Jahana Hayes, history teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury, Connecticut. She was named 2016 National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers.