Arkansas Tech University alumna Stephanie Arflin Williams is the 2026 Arkansas teacher of the year.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva made the announcement during a surprise assembly at Williams’ school, Mountain View Elementary in Benton, on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
A 2009 graduate of Arkansas Tech with a bachelor’s degree in music education, Williams is in her 17th year as a teacher in her hometown of Benton. She was band director at Benton Middle School for 14 years. The 2025-26 academic year is her third as music teacher at Mountain View Elementary School in Benton.
“Behind every successful student is an exceptional teacher who goes above and beyond in the classroom…and this year’s Arkansas teacher of the year, Stephanie Williams, is a great example of that ideal,” said Sanders in a news release from the Arkansas Department of Education. “She doesn’t just want her students to succeed; she strives to make learning fun and expand their curiosity, so they never stop growing. Arkansas is better because of educators like her who put our students first.”
As Arkansas teacher of the year, Williams received a $14,000 award sponsored by the Walton Family Foundation and is eligible to apply for the national teacher of the year program. She will also receive the Dr. Mary B. Gunter Arkansas Teacher of the Year Scholarship from Arkansas Tech.
Read more at https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/2026ATOYpress_COMM.pdf.
