The 2024-2025 California Teacher of the Year Program is now open. Please fill out the webform at the bottom of this post. The deadline to submit a Teacher of the Year Nomination is February 21, 2024.

Background

The 2024-2025 California Teacher of the Year Program is now open and seeks nomination of pre-kindergarten through grade 12 teachers, including adult education teachers if they are providing in-struction in the same curriculum as those who teach in elementary or secondary grades. Teachers who have some administrative responsibilities are also eligible; however, teaching must be their primary responsibility. All teachers who qualify must have at least seven years of teaching experience.

The California Teacher of the Year Program actively encourages applicants that fully represent the diverse ethnic and cultural composition of our state’s teaching force, as well as of its varied geographical settings. Teachers are eligible to go on to county, state, and national competition. The program seeks teachers with exemplary personal growth, commitment, personal attitude, and professional skills.

The California Teacher of the Year Program celebrates and pays special tribute to the tireless efforts of our state’s outstanding teachers. In doing so, the program brings well-deserved recognition to the whole teaching profession. 

The program’s goals are to:

• identify and honor outstanding teachers throughout California within a structure of local, regional, and statewide recognition activities;
• select, for special commendation and responsibility, five teachers who will effectively represent California teachers during the year, speaking for, energizing, and symbolizing the positive contributions of the teaching profession statewide;
• focus attention on the positive accomplishments of students and teachers throughout California; and
• emphasize maintaining and improving student achievement.

Within this context, the Sacramento City Unified School District is seeking nominations of outstanding educators from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 and adult education to be Teacher of the Year. Two teachers will be selected as the Teacher of the Year and will be eligible to represent the district in the County Teacher of the Year competition. Teachers who have been selected as Teacher of the Year cannot be nominated again for five years.

As a member of our district staff, or as a parent or community member, you are cordially invited to nominate a teacher for this award. Once nominated, teachers will be invited to respond to several essay questions. The responses to these questions will be evaluated by a panel of district representatives and community members, who will then recommend a smaller number of candidates for an interview. Finalists will then be selected for site visits.

Thank you for your interest in the 2024-25 California Teacher of the Year Program!

The deadline to submit a Teacher of the Year Nomination is February 21, 2024.

Selection Process

• A nomination is submitted on behalf of the teacher. 
• Candidates are then asked to respond to a series of essay questions that speak to their passion for teaching, their ability to differentiate instruction to meet students’ needs, ways in which they provide equitable learning experiences for all the students in their class, specific strategies they utilize that directly affect student achievement, and how they connect with and support their school community. 
• These responses are screened by the Teacher of the Year Committee. 
• Selected candidates are then asked to interview. 
• Classroom observations take place for those candidates selected. 
• Two teachers are then chosen to represent the District in the County Teacher of the Year selection process.

Online Application