Zachary Arenz, 2024 New York State Teacher of the Year

Zachary Arenz is the 2024 New York State Teacher of the Year and an elementary school music teacher at Flower City School No. 54 in the Rochester City School District (RCSD) in Rochester, NY. His enthusiasm for music and teaching was ignited growing up on Long Island, surrounded by educators and enveloped by music. These passions were further cultivated while attending the State University of New York at Fredonia, where Arenz earned his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in music education in 2010 and 2012, respectively.

Arenz began teaching at Internationella Engelska Skolan in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Following this experience, he returned to New York and began working in the RCSD, where he has taught since 2013. His teaching experiences span elementary through high school in vocal, general, and instrumental music settings.

Previously recognized as a NYS Teacher of the Year finalist (2023), RCSD Educator of the Year (2021), and recipient of the Career-In-Teaching New Teacher Award (2015), Arenz is consistently recognized for his outstanding commitment to high-quality educational experiences. As an education leader, he focuses on improving academic culture through the lens of restorative practice and increasing inclusivity and representation in all content areas.

In 2025, Arenz was selected as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow with the National Geographic Society and Lindblad Expeditions, participating in an expedition to Iceland and Greenland that inspired new global learning strategies in his classroom. That same year, he was awarded the Travelers Award for Teaching Excellence by the National Education Association Foundation for excellence in teaching, community engagement, and educational advocacy.

In 2025–26, Arenz will serve as an NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow, engaging in a year-long professional learning experience focused on global competence and culturally responsive teaching. As part of this fellowship, he will travel to South Africa in summer 2026 to participate in an immersive international field study that will inform his curriculum, student engagement strategies, and leadership development.

He frequently represents the teaching profession in public forums to elevate issues of equity, access, and the future of public education. In addition to his classroom role, Arenz actively engages in state and national education policy conversations, providing educator voice and perspective through advisory roles (NYSED), public commentary (ABC News), and collaborative writing projects (KEA News). 

Arenz is a relentless advocate for integrating the arts and social-emotional learning into student learning and teacher well-being while recognizing and celebrating diversity. Outside the classroom, he is a practicing musician, restorative practice and teacher wellness facilitator, keynote speaker, and serves on the New York State School Music Association’s (NYSSMA) Belonging, Equity, Diversity, and Representation (BEDR) Committee.