We at the Alameda Unified School District are delighted to announce that Katherine Werner, a special education teacher at Encinal Junior and Senior High School, has been named the district’s 2026 teacher of the year.
Encinal Junior and Senior High School teacher Katherine Werner is the Alameda Unified School District’s 2026 teacher of the year. (photo courtesy of Katherine Werner)
Ms. Werner, who came to the AUSD in 2020, co-teaches English, academic strategies and film classes at Encinal High on the city’s West End. She also serves as the school’s Special Education Department chair; has developed college and career awareness activities for students in grades 9 through 12; and has designed and facilitated professional development for her colleagues.
“It’s truly an honor to represent AUSD as the teacher of the year,” Werner says, “especially for all of the special education staff who work tirelessly to support our students. Teaching is a collective effort, and I’m grateful to be part of a profession that continues to inspire me. Thank you to all the parents and guardians out there too, who are raising amazing humans and partnering with us teachers. I’m feeling really proud to be an Encinal Jet!”
Werner received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education from Penn State University and her preliminary credential in educational leadership from Cal State East Bay. She has been a teacher for 20 years and an AUSD teacher for six.
“(The) teacher of the year (award) should recognize someone who transforms learning, uplifts colleagues and prepares students to engage thoughtfully with the world beyond graduation,” a colleague wrote. “Kate Werner does this every single day.”
Nominees for AUSD’s teacher of the year come from parents, students, staff and the community. Teachers are notified of their nominations, and qualified candidates are invited to submit application materials.
A selection committee composed of teachers, administrators, the Alameda Education Association president, an AUSD Board of Education member and a Parent Teacher Association Council member reviews redacted applications, selects several semifinalists to observe in the classroom, interviews them and then makes a final decision on who will represent the district’s teacher of the year at the Alameda County level.
“The teacher of the year process annually reminds me how blessed AUSD is with its abundance of talented teacher leaders,” says AUSD Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi. “The fact that Ms. Werner is the first special education professional to be selected in 25 years is especially impactful — all teaching is hard, but special education teachers work especially hard to support our most vulnerable students.
“I wholeheartedly congratulate Ms. Werner and look forward to learning from her over the coming year.”
“The board would like to congratulate Ms. Werner and all the nominees for the 2026 teacher of the year,” says Ryan LaLonde, the AUSD Board of Education’s president. “We are so grateful for her hard work, commitment and leadership and for all she does to support students, staff and families.
“As a parent of a student on the special education journey at AUSD, I personally am so appreciative of high-caliber teachers like Ms. Werner. They don’t just benefit the students in their class; they can elevate instruction across an entire district.”
Reach Susan Davis, the Alameda Unified School District’s senior manager for community affairs, at 510-337-7175 or SDavis@alamedaunified.org.