By Chianti Marks
AFRO Interns
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently announced Christopher Albert as the District’s 2026 Teacher of the Year. Bowser called it one of her favorite annual celebrations.
“It is an incredible experience to hear an auditorium of students erupt in cheers when their teacher is announced and to see the other educators just as excited as the students,” Bowser said, in a statement about the event. “It is a joyful reminder that we not only have world-class teachers in schools across all eight wards, but that we also have strong school communities filled with love and appreciation.”
The D.C. Teacher of the Year award recognizes exemplary public or charter school educators who demonstrate excellence through leadership, advocacy for the teaching profession and significant student growth.
Albert is a music educator and the director of performing arts at School Without Walls High School. Under his leadership, the school’s performing arts program has flourished — with 45 percent of students enrolled in music education courses this year, according to information released by Bowser.
Video footage from the announcement captured the excitement in the room — students cheering, teachers applauding and Christopher Albert standing in disbelief as he realized his name had been called.
“When she was talking about all the things I’ve done in my classroom, I thought, ‘Wait a minute, that’s me.’ Then I thought, ‘No, it can’t be me.’ And then they said, ‘They’re talking about you!’” Albert said. “It was such a surreal, out-of-body experience.”
“I don’t teach music to create musicians; I teach music to create thinkers, leaders, collaborators and creators,” Albert said.
Earlier in 2025, School Without Walls was ranked the No. 1 high school in Washington, D.C., a testament to the school’s academic and creative excellence.
In her statement, Bowser highlighted not only Albert’s accomplishments but also the broader progress across D.C. schools.
“It’s not just at School Without Walls where our students are thriving. In DCPS and public charter schools across the city, student achievement is up, teacher retention is up, and so is parent satisfaction,” Bowser said. “We know that teachers are a cornerstone of this progress.”