Joseph Fatheree

Joseph Fatheree is an award‑winning educator, author, and filmmaker, and coauthor of Adventures in Teacher Leadership: Pathways, Strategies, and Inspiration for Every Teacher (ASCD, 2019). A longtime classroom teacher, he has taught technology, creativity, and innovation at Effingham High School in Effingham, Illinois, where he helped build nationally recognized multimedia and innovation programs.

Fatheree was named Illinois Teacher of the Year for 2007 and received the National Education Association’s National Award for Teaching Excellence in 2009. In 2016, he was honored as a Top 10 finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, recognized internationally for his innovative work helping students produce professional‑quality media projects on issues such as poverty, bullying, and homelessness. He has also served in leadership roles with education organizations, including work as director of strategic projects for the National Network of State Teachers of the Year and as a founding board member of Advance Illinois, contributing to education policy and advocacy at state and national levels.