{"id":293175,"date":"2026-04-30T14:04:03","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T14:04:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/293175\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T14:04:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T14:04:03","slug":"six-educators-who-inspire-honored-as-orange-countys-teachers-of-the-year-orange-county-register","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/293175\/","title":{"rendered":"Six educators who inspire honored as Orange County\u2019s teachers of the year \u2013 Orange County Register"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ryan Healy, a theater teacher at Marco Forster Middle School, was leading his students through a rehearsal for the Disney musical \u201cNewsies Jr.\u201d when the spotlight turned to him.<\/p>\n

Orange County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean led a prize patrol into the Capistrano Unified school\u2019s multipurpose room Wednesday morning, April 29, to make a surprise announcement: Healy is one of six educators chosen as the county\u2019s teachers of the year<\/a>, a recognition that comes with a $25,000 check and an invitation to a gala dinner at the Disneyland Hotel.<\/p>\n

\"Marco<\/p>\n

Marco Forster Middle School students react to the announcement that their drama teacher, Ryan Healy, is an Orange County Teacher of the Year. Officials made a surprise visit to the San Juan Capistrano school on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Marco<\/p>\n

Marco Forster Middle School drama teacher, Ryan Healy, gets a hug from his wife, Victoria Healy, after being named an Orange County Teacher of the Year on in San Juan Capistrano on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Marco<\/p>\n

Marco Forster Middle School drama teacher, Ryan Healy, is an Orange County 2026 Teacher of the Year. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Marco<\/p>\n

Marco Forster Middle School drama teacher, Ryan Healy, is cheered by his students after being names an Orange County Teacher of the Year in San Juan Capistrano on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

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Marco Forster Middle School students react to the announcement that their drama teacher, Ryan Healy, is an Orange County Teacher of the Year. Officials made a surprise visit to the San Juan Capistrano school on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

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As Bean presented Healy with a trophy of a bright red apple, Healy\u2019s students erupted in cheers and applause on stage. Shortly after, they broke into song, resuming rehearsal of a number from the school production slated to open that evening.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wake up every single day trying to make kids feel a little bit taller when they go home,\u201d Healy said, adding that the recognition was an \u201cincredible\u201d honor.<\/p>\n

The coveted annual award is sponsored by the SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union and the Orange County Teachers of the Year Award Foundation. A judging panel of previous winners and education leaders reviewed applications from 65 nominees from districts and community colleges around the county, conducting interviews with 15 semifinalists and ultimately whittling down the list to six, district officials said.<\/p>\n

Healy has been teaching for nearly a decade at Marco Forster, his alma mater, and leads the musical theater program in which he said about 20% of the student population is involved. In addition, he also runs the Peer Assistance Leadership program, teaches stagecraft and yearbook and provides English language development to 243 English learner students.<\/p>\n

The five chosen K-12 educators will compete for the California Teachers of the Year<\/a> award in the fall.<\/p>\n

Bean emphasized the significance of being selected for the award in a county with more than 22,000 educators.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can all as adults think of one teacher who inspired us and changed the trajectory of our lives,\u201d he said. \u201cToday is about celebrating those teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Megan Avalos, Rossmoor Elementary School, Los Alamitos Unified School District<\/p>\n

Avalos has taught elementary school in the district for 14 years, but to walk into her fifth-grade classroom is to be transported to Hogwarts.<\/p>\n

The walls are covered in iconography of the \u201cHarry Potter\u201d series, with banners of the four houses, a \u201cMuggle Studies\u201d sign and a broomstick hanging near the ceiling. The decor is both fun and engages themes from the books.<\/p>\n

\"Rossmoor<\/p>\n

Rossmoor Elementary fifth-grade teacher, Megan Avalos, celebrates with her class after she was named Orange County Teacher of the Year on Monday, April 27, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Rossmoor<\/p>\n

Rossmoor Elementary fifth-grade teacher, Megan Avalos, was named an Orange County Teacher of the Year on Monday, April 27, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Megan<\/p>\n

Megan Avalos, right, a fifth-grade teacher at Rossmoor Elementary, gets a hug from principal Amy Coltey, after Avalos was named a Teacher of the Year. Orange County school district officials made a surprise visit on Monday, April 27, 2026 announcing the honor. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

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Rossmoor Elementary fifth-grade teacher, Megan Avalos, celebrates with her class after she was named Orange County Teacher of the Year on Monday, April 27, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

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Also posted on the walls are important moral dilemmas for her young students to ponder, such as: \u201cIs the desire for progress worth the consequences?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bean and his team surprised Avalos two days early because she was taking her class on a science field trip the rest of the week.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like I\u2019m treating all my kiddos to Yogurtland,\u201d Avalos joked as Bean presented her with the replica $25,000 check.<\/p>\n

Bean\u2019s daughter, Gabriella, is a former student of Avalos and was there to celebrate her teacher\u2019s achievement. \u201cThere\u2019s never a dull moment in her class,\u201d said the now 15-year-old.<\/p>\n

Los Alamitos Unified Superintendent Andrew Pulver said Avalos represents the \u201cvery best\u201d of the district, who \u201cmakes learning come alive\u201d by leading initiatives such as Rossmoor Elementary\u2019s Houses program, which gathers students into groups to participate in friendly competitions and community service projects.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou build in each and every student belief in themselves,\u201d Pulver told Avalos after she received her award. \u201cBecause they have such a caring adult who believes in them, they know there\u2019s nothing they can\u2019t achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kathryn Cerasuolo, Hope School, Anaheim Union High School District<\/p>\n

Cerasuolo, affectionately known to her students as \u201cCoach K,\u201d has taught adapted physical education at Hope School for the past nine years \u2014 a dream job that \u201cnever feels like work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Teaching PE to students with special needs, Cerasuolo said, requires both tenacity and resourcefulness. She describes herself as a \u201cbig puzzler,\u201d often tracking down or building sporting equipment that is more accessible to her students, such as basketball hoops with adjustable heights or a Bluetooth-operated Stomp Rocket.<\/p>\n

\"Kathryn<\/p>\n

Kathryn Cerasuolo, an adaptive PE teacher at Hope School in Anaheim, helps student Alexis Rodriguez after she was named an Orange County Teacher of the Year on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Kathryn<\/p>\n

Kathryn Cerasuolo, an adaptive PE teacher at Hope School in Anaheim, was named an Orange County Teacher of the Year in Anaheim on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

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Kathryn Cerasuolo, an adaptive PE teacher at Hope School in Anaheim, helps student Alexis Rodriguez after she was named an Orange County Teacher of the Year on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

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Before a baseball game, Cerasuolo will take out a rolling speaker and let her athletes select a walk-up song to build up their confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never want my students to feel like they can\u2019t or won\u2019t be able to do something because of a limitation or disability,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Cerasuolo said she was inspired to teach adaptive PE after watching her cousin, who has a disability and struggled in school, shine while playing sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think sports is something that binds us all together, whether we\u2019re rooting for a favorite team or outside walking with family,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s something that connects us as people, and I just want to make sure that\u2019s accessible to everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katherine Green, Golden West College, Coast Community College District<\/p>\n

Green has been teaching chemistry at Golden West College for 19 years, and practice-based learning is one of her guiding philosophies.<\/p>\n

She structures her lessons around a \u201c10-10\u201d format, she said, a 10-minute lecture followed by 10 minutes of \u201ccollaborative problem-solving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Golden<\/p>\n

Golden West College chemistry professor, Kate Green, center, is photographed with her husband, Scott, and son Spencer after she was named an Orange County Teacher of the Year in Huntington Beach on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Golden<\/p>\n

Golden West College chemistry professor, Kate Green, is overcome with emotion after being named a Teacher of the Year and having a surprise visit from her son, Spencer. Spencer, a student at M.I.T. in from Boston, flew in for the event. While growing up his mother would tell him, \u201cThere\u2019s magic in the world and it\u2019s science.\u201d (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Golden<\/p>\n

Golden West College chemistry professor, Kate Green, embraces Superintendent Stefan Bean after he announces her a Teacher of the Year winner in Huntington Beach on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Golden<\/p>\n

Golden West College professor, Kate Green, is surprised with a $25,000 check presented to her by Jeff Gross, after being named an Orange County Teacher of the Year in Huntington Beach on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Golden<\/p>\n

Golden West College chemistry professor, Kate Green, was named an Orange County Teacher of the Year in Huntington Beach on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

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Golden West College chemistry professor, Kate Green, center, is photographed with her husband, Scott, and son Spencer after she was named an Orange County Teacher of the Year in Huntington Beach on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

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This more proactive approach, she said, allows her to better respond to her students\u2019 progress and assess where they\u2019re falling behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I taught you an equation, you need to practice right away,\u201d she said, noting that students would, more often than not, forget the first 10 minutes of a one-hour lecture.<\/p>\n

Among the group of colleagues, friends and family who appeared Wednesday to surprise Green was her son, an MIT student who flew in from Massachusetts.<\/p>\n

Spencer Green, 22, described his mother as his \u201cfirst and best\u201d teacher.<\/p>\n

During the pandemic, he recalled, she brought him and his sister to the lab and recorded them conducting experiments, many of which failed. She later showed those videos to her students, he said, to assure them that it\u2019s OK to make mistakes.<\/p>\n

As a professor of a notoriously difficult subject, Green said a teaching approach centered on encouragement and attentiveness has been the key to helping her students succeed.<\/p>\n

Learning chemistry, she said, is much like playing a sport or a musical instrument: Progress comes with trial and error, patience and practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt one point you can\u2019t walk,\u201d Green said she likes to remind her students, \u201cnow you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wendy Saldivar, Loara Elementary School, Anaheim Elementary School District<\/p>\n

Saldivar said she found her calling in education after a stint working as a 911 operator.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy love language is acts of service, both giving and receiving,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing there behind the screens, hearing these calls, made me realize that I need to help people early on in life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Wendy<\/p>\n

Wendy Saldivar, a dual language immersion teacher at Loara Elementary School in Anaheim, reacts to a surprise visit by district officials who named her an Orange County Teacher of the Year on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Wendy<\/p>\n

Wendy Saldivar\u2019s children: Aaron, 6, from left, Julia, 9, and Olivia, 11, look at the trophy Saldivar received after being named an Orange County Teacher of the Year on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. The dual language immersion teacher works at Loara Elementary School in Anaheim. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Wendy<\/p>\n

Wendy Saldivar, a dual language immersion teacher at Loara Elementary School in Anaheim, was named an Orange County Teacher of the Year, one of six, on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

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Wendy Saldivar, a dual language immersion teacher at Loara Elementary School in Anaheim, reacts to a surprise visit by district officials who named her an Orange County Teacher of the Year on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

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After getting the \u201cepiphany\u201d that she could do that by going into teaching, Saldivar got her credentials and never looked back, she said.<\/p>\n

Saldivar has been an educator for a dozen years, the last decade teaching dual language immersion with Spanish at Loara Elementary.<\/p>\n

In a baseball-themed classroom, her fifth graders are encouraged to learn in ways that make them comfortable, even if that means scribbling math equations with markers on their desks.<\/p>\n

The lessons are engaging and practical: Saldivar said she\u2019s hosted auctions on the digital platform ClassBank to teach her students about the value of money.<\/p>\n

Saldivar said she shares her Teacher of the Year honor with her students, who follow and chant a pair of mottos that are plastered on her classroom walls: \u201cSi Se Puede\u201d and \u201cGo for the Gold.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told them: \u2018Guys, we just hit the gold!\u201d she said. \u201cThis is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brittany Walters, Dr. Peter Marshall Elementary, Magnolia School District<\/p>\n

Walters has been teaching kindergarteners for 17 years. At Marshall Elementary, where she\u2019s taught since 2011, she\u2019s developed instruction plans that promote hands-on learning and prioritize the emotional needs of her young students.<\/p>\n

For the past 14 years, Walters has also served as a mentor in the GRIP, or Gang Reduction Intervention Partnership, with local law enforcement, assuming the role a \u201csecondary parent\u201d to children most at risk of dropping out of school, she said.<\/p>\n

\"Kindergarten<\/p>\n

Kindergarten teacher Brittany Walters celebrates\u00a0with her daughter, Paisley, after being named a Teacher of the Year in Anaheim on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. One of six winners in the county, she teaches at Dr. Peter Marshall Elementary School in Anaheim. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"While<\/p>\n

While reading her students a book, Dr. Peter Marshall Elementary School kindergarten teacher, Brittany Walters, is surprised by a visit of school officials who announced her an Orange County Teacher of the Year in Anaheim on Wednesday, April 29. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Kindergarten<\/p>\n

Kindergarten teacher Brittany Walters takes time out from celebration to comfort student Idrissa Diarra, 6, who became overwhelmed when his classroom filled with officials announcing Walters a Teacher of the Year on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. Walters works at Dr. Peter Marshall Elementary School in Anaheim. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

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Kindergarten teacher Brittany Walters celebrates\u00a0with her daughter, Paisley, after being named a Teacher of the Year in Anaheim on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. One of six winners in the county, she teaches at Dr. Peter Marshall Elementary School in Anaheim. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

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Walters, like several of the winners, said she\u2019s \u201cecstatic\u201d to be recognized as a teacher of the year and plans to invest the $25,000 cash prize into her daughters\u2019 college funds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels so nice to be acknowledged for the hard work we do in the classroom every single day,\u201d Walters said. \u201cEvery single person on this campus deserves this award.\u201d<\/p>\n

After receiving her trophy and check from Bean, Walters gathered her students around for a group photo. Wide smiles broke out on many faces. Several children wrapped their arms around her.<\/p>\n

Walters said she\u2019s always thinking about her students, even after school ends, and considers them her children.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brain never turns off from them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ryan Healy, a theater teacher at Marco Forster Middle School, was leading his students through a rehearsal for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":293176,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,165,164,7,179,15,588,17306,100,611,2944,6736,136],"class_list":["post-293175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-california","tag-community","tag-education","tag-huntington-beach","tag-los-alamitos","tag-news","tag-orange-county","tag-photos-and-videos","tag-san-juan-capistrano","tag-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=293175"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293175\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/293176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=293175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=293175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=293175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}