Stacey James McAdoo, affectionately referred to as the “forever 2019 Arkansas Teacher of the Year,” is a writer, educator and literacy advocate. During her year of service, her platform was “Using passion and poetry to close the opportunity gap.” McAdoo truly believes that opportunity and access paired with authentic relationships, an understanding of one’s passion, and the incorporation of the arts can close all gaps within education. The award-winning Arkansas PBS/Arkansas Ideas professional development courses Closing the Opportunity Gap and Coaching Self Expression: Go-In Poet provide an intimate look at her relationship-based approach to nurturing students and show her platform in action. 

As the founder of the Writeous Poets (a spoken word youth collective) and a highly sought-after professional development facilitator, she designs and leads sessions that focus on arts integration, empowering student and teacher voice, and promoting equity and success of diverse learners. Her sessions teach participants how to use their thoughts, tongues and talents to defy stereotypes, speak their truth and combat social injustices through poetry, music and art.

McAdoo, a 20+ year veteran classroom practitioner who holds a Bachelors in Professional & Technical Writing, a Masters of Art in Teaching and an EdS in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, also hosts televised educational programming, has produced poetry radio shows, published books and is the creator and host of A Mile In My Shoes: The Walk & Talk Podcast, where she and her guests walk to improve their health while discussing various education-related topics.