Tracy Bird, a ninth‑grade English teacher at Minneapolis Washburn High School and Minnesota’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, testified Oct. 12 before the Minnesota Senate Education Policy Committee about his classroom practice, his path to teaching and his response to proposed book restrictions.

Bird described being nominated by colleagues, submitting essays and videos and progressing through semifinal and finalist rounds for the statewide award. He said the process culminates in a national selection later this year.

Bird described the classroom strategies he uses to reach students and explained why he opposes removing books from school shelves. “Once you start banning books, somebody is gatekeeping. And then who put you in charge of what somebody else should or shouldn't be reading?” he said. “I’m more of the latter. Like, if you’re reading something and you want me to go on that journey with you, I’m all for it.”

He told senators that Minneapolis Washburn faces high student mobility and poverty alongside students from more affluent families; he said 38% of students at Washburn are highly mobile. Bird described giving students meaningful classroom responsibilities and exposing them to experiences they might not otherwise have: “There’s no such thing as a typical day, but I love it. . . . We’re the 3‑11 learning community, at Minneapolis Washburn.”

Bird recounted his personal journey into education after working in the financial sector and said a principal urged him to complete his degree and pursue teaching. He said the job’s steep demands — five classes with 55‑minute periods, frequent student questions and after‑hours grading — are balanced by the satisfaction of seeing students progress.

When Senator Duckworth asked about his path to licensure, Bird said he returned to school as an adult while balancing family and work obligations and credited a supportive principal who encouraged him to finish his degree.

Bird also said he believes teachers should act in students’ interests: “If you’re for kids, if you’re truly for the students, then you will do things that benefit them.” He told the committee that he was the 60th Minnesota Teacher of the Year and the first from Minneapolis Washburn to receive the honor.

Bird invited legislators to visit his classroom: “If any of you would ever like to come out and see how it goes down, by all means, the doors are open for you,” he told the committee. The committee adjourned after recognizing both honorees.