Minnesota Teacher of the Year Tracy Byrd reflects on a year of helping students fly

“Future authors, are you ready?”

It’s 7:30 a.m. at Washburn High School and Minnesota’s 2024-25 Teacher of the Year Tracy Byrd is starting English class. It’s a “Free Write Friday,” so Byrd gives the class some prompts and instructs them to write for the next eight minutes. “Because you are going to have to write for a lot longer than that when you take the ACT.”

Some students work on their graphic novels, some are flipping the script on “hero” stories, others are catching up on assignments. Everyone wants to know if Mr. Byrd is coming to the school musical that weekend and they’re laying on more than a little pressure for him to attend.

If his ninth graders seem engaged with school and focused on their futures, that is not how Byrd describes his high school self. “I wasn’t a highly motivated student, so I look around the classroom and I can see me,” Byrd said. “I see myself in the one who procrastinates, the one who would rather be anywhere else.” Byrd says his experience as a reluctant student helps him connect with those who aren’t naturally “high fliers.”

Byrd went back to school when he was in his 30s and worked in finance before becoming a teacher in 2017. A real full circle moment for this Washburn grad, which may be why he’s fond of wearing orange and blue and telling people, “It’s a great day to be a Miller!”

It’s 3:30 p.m. now, and Byrd, the head track coach, is getting his athletes huddled to start practice.

“Raise your hand if you set a personal record yesterday,” he asks the team. About ten hands shoot up. “Let’s give it up for those people.”

Byrd ran track when he attended Washburn, but like his academics, he says he didn’t make the most of the opportunity. He’s determined to make sure no one on his team makes the same mistake.

Washburn's 2025 Athena Award winner Sydney Ruckett, who has four varsity letters in track, says Coach Byrd has helped her realize her full potential. “He focuses on making sure you understand how to push your own limits, but also realize what your limits are.  That’s really helpful.”

Washburn Principal Dr. Emily Palmer says the same qualities that make Byrd a great teacher also make him a great coach. “He’s very positive, he’s very encouraging, but also he will push, push, push so the kids can be excellent,” she said. “That’s why we have a lot of excellence here, teachers like Tracy.”

At the end of his year as Minnesota’s top teacher, Byrd says the experience is still sinking in. “I was honored at a Vikings game, a Twins game, I met my national counterparts. Teacher of the Year has afforded me so many experiences I would never have had before,” he said. “Who would’ve thought a young man from South Minneapolis would be able to do all these things?”

A group of future authors in ninth grade English at Washburn, for one.