County Teacher of the Year program<\/a> for more than\u00a035\u00a0years.\u00a0These\u00a0district-nominated\u00a0teachers\u00a0completed\u00a0an extensive application\u00a0packet and were interviewed by a panel of judges, which consisted of\u00a0representatives from\u00a0SDCOE,\u00a0the 9th District\u00a0PTA, and districts throughout the county.\u00a0The five teachers stood out for their incredible passion, dedication, and impact they have on their students\u00a0this year and\u00a0over the course\u00a0of their careers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cThese five outstanding teachers exemplify the profound impact that dedicated educators can have on students, families, and their communities,\u201d said Dr. Gloria E. Ciriza, San Diego County superintendent of schools. \u201cBy bringing encouragement, joy, and opportunity into the lives of young people, they help students build confidence, discover their potential, and imagine brighter futures. We are honored to recognize\u00a0their extraordinary leadership and commitment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0educators\u00a0found out\u00a0they were County Teachers of the Year during surprise announcements at their\u00a0schools or district office\u00a0on May 14 and 15. SDCOE\u00a0and\u00a0San Diego County Credit Union (SDCCU)\u00a0collaborated\u00a0with their\u00a0school principals\u00a0to surprise the\u00a0teachers\u00a0in their classroom or\u00a0during a school\u00a0assembly\u00a0as part of the\u00a0new\u00a0Excellence in Education program presented by SDCCU.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Excellence in Education, formerly known as Salute to Teachers, continues the tradition of celebrating the region\u2019s outstanding educators and their impact on the\u00a0nearly\u00a0500,000\u00a0students\u00a0in San Diego County. SDCCU, which has been honoring teachers for many years as\u00a0a\u00a0presenting\u00a0sponsor\u00a0of Salute, now serves as partner and\u00a0title\u00a0sponsor, continuing their passion and commitment to supporting educators.\u00a0SDCOE and SDCCU celebrated all of San Diego County\u2019s school district teachers of the year\u00a0in\u00a0early\u00a0May at a special event held before the judges selected\u00a0the\u00a0five winners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSDCCU congratulates the five San Diego County Teachers of the Year for their hard work and dedication to students, families, and the community,\u201d said Teresa Campbell, SDCCU president and CEO. \u201cAs the title sponsor of the Excellence in Education event in partnership with SDCOE, we proudly support the incredible work of our local educators and celebrate the impact they\u2019re making on today\u2019s youth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
About the\u00a02026-27\u00a0San Diego County Teachers of the Year\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Katie Andan, La Costa Heights Elementary\u00a0<\/p>\n
Katie\u00a0Andan\u2019s goal as a teacher is for her students to feel safe, seen, and heard\u00a0\u2013 every day, and in every situation.\u00a0She has taught\u00a05th\u00a0grade at La Costa Heights\u00a0Elementary\u00a0for the past 12\u00a0years and\u00a0has 20 years of classroom experience.\u00a0Drawing from\u00a0a teaching\u00a0career that spans the globe,\u00a0Andan\u00a0showcases\u00a0different perspectives and\u00a0helps\u00a0her students understand and practice empathy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A former student shared: \u201cMrs. Andan\u2019s passion for doing the right thing is something that inspires her students every day. Because of her advocacy, our entire grade got the opportunity to visit Sacramento for three days and present a bill to the California State Senate. How many fifth graders can say\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0done that?\u00a0Not many.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the end of each school day, Katie\u00a0hopes kids leave her classroom feeling like they contributed,\u00a0learned something new,\u00a0exhibited\u00a0critical thinking, held themselves to\u00a0high expectations, and\u00a0are\u00a0excited to come back the next day.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mark Jeffers,\u00a0Mount Miguel High School\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr.\u00a0Mark Jeffers\u00a0wants students entering his classroom to\u00a0know that he cares about\u00a0them,\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0in a safe environment, and they are valued. He has taught English at Mount Miguel High School\u00a0for 21 years, with a specialized\u00a0commitment to helping students from historically\u00a0underserved communities prepare for\u00a0higher education\u00a0through Mount Miguel\u2019s Early College program.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A fellow teacher at Mount Miguel shared: \u201cDr. Jeffers\u2019 leadership and his belief in students have not only created an award-winning program but have fundamentally shifted the culture of our campus, empowering\u00a0students\u00a0and educators alike to strive for excellence in authentic ways.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jeffers\u00a0sets a goal of creating independent learners\u00a0through collaboration, teacher engagement, critical thinking, and creativity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Robin Larson,\u00a0PRIDE Academy\u00a0at Prospect Avenue\u00a0<\/p>\n
Robin Larson\u00a0instills\u00a0in her students the\u00a0courage to create, the confidence to perform, the thoughtfulness to respond, and the desire to connect.\u00a0Since\u00a02023,\u00a0Larson\u00a0has taught visual and performing arts at\u00a0PRIDE\u00a0Academy at Prospect Avenue, following\u00a0more than three decades of classroom roles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A fellow teacher at PRIDE Academy shared: \u201cAs PRIDE Academy\u2019s Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) teacher, she has an exceptional\u00a0ability\u00a0to connect with students to bring creativity to life.\u00a0She cultivates a culture\u00a0where\u00a0students\u00a0feel inspired and ready to\u00a0participate. She encourages them to try new things, take musical risks, and express themselves, while making sure every student feels seen and valued.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Larson built\u00a0the school\u2019s\u00a0music\u00a0and theater program from scratch, using the\u00a0lessons to expand learning opportunities and\u00a0encourage self-discovery.<\/p>\n
Mike Neumann, Southwest High School, Sweetwater Union High School District\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mike Neumann is known for his inclusive, supportive classroom where he prioritizes every student feeling welcomed, valued, and heard. He began supporting underserved youth at San Diego Job Corps before joining the Sweetwater Union High School District.\u00a0At San Ysidro High, he launched the school’s first Peer Mediation course before transitioning to Southwest High, where he teaches Film and Broadcast Journalism and serves as VAPA coordinator.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A current student shared: \u201cOne thing that really stands out about Mr. Neumann is how much effort he puts into making sure every student feels included and valued. He takes the time to get to know us, not just as students, but as people. Whether\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0asking about our day, checking in when someone seems off, or celebrating our achievements, he makes it clear that we matter. That kind of care creates a strong connection between him and his students.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Neumann\u00a0runs the student-produced KSOH broadcast and the Hispanic Heritage Festival through his Events Club.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stacy Williams, Transition Resources for Adult Community Education (TRACE)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stacy Williams builds innovative, student-centered opportunities that focus on independence, employment, and real-world experience. For the past 19 years she has been an educational specialist with Transition Resources for Adult Community Education (TRACE), working with students\u00a0age 18-22\u00a0with mild to moderate support needs as they prepare for adulthood.<\/p>\n
A colleague shared: \u201cWhat sets Stacy apart is not only her compassion, but her clarity of vision. She understands that for many students, especially those with disabilities, education must be relevant, functional, and connected to real life. She has consistently centered the belief that transition-aged students deserve instruction and opportunities that prepare them for employment, independence, community participation, and adult life.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of\u00a0William\u2019s\u00a0most impactful contributions was the creation of Babies and Beads, a student-run microenterprise supporting young parents with disabilities. William’s work reflects her belief that education should be individualized, strength-based, and responsive to the evolving needs of students.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gloria Ciriza announced this week the five stellar educators who are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":321452,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[5767,74,84,22053,76,75,22054],"class_list":["post-321451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-post","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-county","tag-san-diego-county-office-of-education","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news","tag-sdcoe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321451","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=321451"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321451\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/321452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=321451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=321451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=321451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}