IUSD’s elementary, middle and high school Teachers of the Year have been nominated for the Orange County Teachers of the Year award, with two moving onto semi-finalist designations. Earlier this year, IUSD announced elementary teacher Mary Thomas-Vallens, middle school teacher Lauren Morrison, and high school teacher Christina Banagas-Engelerdt had been named the 2016-17 IUSD Teachers of the Year.
In addition to being formally recognized during the District’s Excellence in Teaching Awards Banquet this evening, they have more to celebrate with this county recognition. Thomas-Vallens and Morrison are semi-finalists and will be notified in the coming weeks if they are two of the four county finalists, eligible for the California Teachers of the Year award program.
The Orange County Teachers of the Year program provides recognition for outstanding teachers in Orange County. The state’s prestigious competition involves county offices of education nominating winners from their regional Teachers of the Year competitions. A state selection committee then reviews candidates' applications and conducts site visits to evaluate the teachers' rapport with students, classroom environment, presentation skills, and teaching methods, among other criteria. A select group of those teachers are interviewed at the California Department of Education in Sacramento. The State Superintendent then selects the awardees, which include six semi-finalists, six finalists, and five statewide winners, who are named as California Teachers of the Year.