State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces 2026 California Teachers of the Year

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today named five exceptional educators as the 2026 California Teachers of the Year. These educators are ambassadors of the profession and serve as representatives of the state for the calendar year. Superintendent Thurmond, who began his career as a social services worker, said he is pleased to recognize the outstanding teachers who have had a tremendous impact on their schools, students, and communities.

Superintendent Thurmond praised the five outstanding educators named 2026 California Teachers of the Year and highlighted their passion, creativity, and commitment to inspiring students every day. “These extraordinary educators represent the very best of our public schools and remind us that great teaching can change lives and strengthen entire school communities,” he said.

Presented by the California Department of Education (CDE) and supported by the California Teachers of the Year Foundation, the California Teachers of the Year Program began in 1972 to honor outstanding teachers and encourage and inspire new teachers to enter the profession.

2026 California Teachers of the Year

April Raguindin is a first-grade teacher at Dr. Douglas K. Fletcher Elementary School in the Bakersfield City School District (Kern County). Mrs. Raguindin is a dedicated teacher who has become certified as a reading interventionist in order to provide her students with the best possible literacy instruction during the school day. After school, she continues teaching gardening and cooking through her site’s Extended Learning Program and builds upon the resources of an Edible Schoolyard program that she helped to establish.

Superintendent Thurmond nominated Mrs. Raguindin as California’s representative for the National Teacher of the Year competition. Mrs. Raguindin will compete against other state nominees, and the 2026 National Teacher of the Year will be announced in the spring.

Rene Romero is an eleventh- and twelfth-grade International Baccalaureate Language and Literature teacher at South Hills High School in the Covina Valley Unified School District (Los Angeles County). As an International Baccalaureate teacher who supports students to make meaning out of advanced and complex texts, Mr. Romero uses his own background as an English Learner from East Los Angeles to make sure that his classroom is an inclusive and supportive environment. He works to ensure that every child feels supported to take on new challenges, develop their voice, and thrive.

Chrizia Dela Rosa is a ninth-grade mathematics teacher at Piedmont Hills High School in the East Side Union High School District (Santa Clara County). Ms. Dela Rosa is a dedicated teacher and volleyball coach who is passionate about knowing and including every child. She creates a classroom culture in which students understand that they need practice to build their math muscles just like they need practice to build skill on the court, and she uses her skills of data analysis to learn from constantly evolving data sets of student feedback.

Heather Povinelli is a second-grade teacher at Bradoaks Elementary Science Academy in the Monrovia Unified School District (Los Angeles County). Dr. Povinelli teaches at Bradoaks Elementary Science Academy, where she is constantly inspired by seeing her students learn to exceed their own expectations of themselves. As someone who has dwarfism, Dr. Povinelli uses her own disability as an opportunity to teach students about inclusion, equity, and belief in oneself. Through her doctoral research, Dr. Povinelli has highlighted specific strategies and practices used by dwarf teachers that can be applied by any teacher to more effectively reach every child.

Corina Martinez is a kindergarten teacher at Pioneer Elementary School in the Escondido Union School District (San Diego County). Mrs. Martinez is not just passionate about supporting her students to learn—she’s driven to make sure that they have every support they need to arrive at school every day. Mrs. Martinez has built a legacy of leadership and partnership with community organizations at her school site by building out programs that support students’ social–emotional learning and partnership with families. She is passionate about tackling chronic absenteeism by building real solutions for families.

2026 California Teachers of the Year Finalists

Monika Heidi Duque is a first-grade multiple subject teacher at Rosewood STEM Magnet, Urban Planning and Urban Design, in the Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles County). Ms. Duque is very proud to work at an urban planning magnet school and works hard to develop instructional activities that engage her students in problem-solving to support their community. She addresses the needs of each child as an individual and encourages all of her students to become their best selves.

Dallana Gomez is a high school Culinary Arts teacher at Calipatria High School in the Calipatria Unified School District (Imperial County). Her teaching journey didn't begin in a lecture hall; it started in her family’s kitchen. Food is how Ms. Gomez expresses love, preserves culture, and celebrates life. Ms. Gomez is proud to bring that dedication to her classroom every day and support her students to build a sense of self-efficacy as they strengthen their skills in the culinary arts.

Gregory Hinchliff teaches Spanish, English, Social Studies, Native American Studies, and Speech and Debate at Bonsall High School in the Bonsall Unified School District (San Diego County). He builds partnerships with local tribes, universities, and civic groups; contributed to California’s Native American Studies Model Curriculum; participates in Cal Poly Humboldt’s Four Freedoms civic learning program; and led his Speech and Debate team to state championships. His classroom was featured in the WIDA Consortium’s Bright Spot Repository Project, and he’s an advocate for culturally relevant resources to help students see themselves and reach their potential.

Maddie Hutchinson is a high school English teacher at Mira Costa High School in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District (Los Angeles County). Ms. Hutchinson’s colleagues have called her an “absolute bright light” with an inner fire of passion for teaching others and social justice that, when coupled with bettering her community, makes her an agent of change. Ms. Hutchinson devotes herself to building a strong, empathetic school community both as a teacher of English and as a leader of her school’s Link Crew peer mentorship programs.

County offices of education nominate California Teachers of the Year applicants through their county-level competitions. The CDE selection committees review applications; evaluate teachers’ rapport with students, classroom environments, presentation skills, and teaching techniques; and interview the teachers. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction then selects the five California Teachers of the Year and the National Teacher of the Year nominee.

For more information on the award program, please visit the CDE California Teachers of the Year web page. Visit the Teach California website for more information on becoming a teacher.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100