Alameda Unified School District officials are excited to announce that the district is now accepting nominations for its Teacher of the Year program. Anyone can nominate a teacher until the deadline of 5 p.m. Jan. 6, and nomination forms are available online at tinyurl.com/AUSD-ToYnomination-2025.

After being nominated, Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) teachers who meet the county and state criteria are invited to participate in the next phase of the process, which requires them to submit an application packet (including a resume, introductory letter and letters of support) to the district office.

The AUSD Teacher of the Year Selection Committee then meets to screen applications and determine which applicants will move onto the next phase: classroom observations. During that stage, the Selection Committee members could visit classrooms, interview finalists and determine this year’s Teacher of the Year.

Members of the selection committee include former AUSD Teachers of the Year, a district Education Board member, a principal and representatives of the Alameda Education Association (which represents teachers) and PTA Council.

The winner will be honored by the Education Board in May and by the Alameda County Education Office in the fall. That person also then becomes eligible for the Alameda County and state Teacher of the Year awards.

The 2025 Teacher of the Year is Paden teacher Michael Kramer-Wong, who was honored for his consideration, creativity and ability to nurture not only individual student growth but also school culture and leadership. Mr. Wong went on to be selected in October as an Alameda County Teacher of the Year.

More good news: The AUSD will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 9 for the new athletic field at Encinal Junior & Senior High School. The new stadium featues a multisport turf field, a new regulation-sized track, areas for field sports, new bleachers, a press box, a state-of-the-art scoreboard and new lights that were all paid for by Measure B, the school facilities bond that Alameda voters approved in 2022.

We at the AUSD remain grateful for the community’s support in providing this beautiful field to our Encinal Jets students as well as our current projects at Wood Middle School (a new campus) and Alameda High School (a new swim center and upgrades to Kofman Auditorium).

Reach Susan Davis, the Alameda Unified School District’s senior manager for community affairs, at 510-337-7175 or SDavis@alamedaunified.org.