Honorees to date include three of five finalists in San Diego County and four of 16 finalists in Los Angeles County
San Diego, Calif. — National University congratulates alumni who are being honored as a 2016-2017 Teacher of the Year in school districts throughout California and around the country. As of the end of September, at least ten alumni of the University’s Sanford College of Education have been named county Teacher of the Year in California alone. This includes three of the five finalists in San Diego County, as well as four of the 16 finalists in Los Angeles County.
National University alumni have had significant representation at the county, state, and national levels as Teacher of the Year. In fact, over the years at least 130 graduates and credential completers from the Sanford College of Education have been honored as county Teacher of the Year within California, and 14 have been recognized as state Teacher of the Year in California.
The private, nonprofit National University has among the top ten largest schools of education in the country, and recommends more teachers for credentials than any other university in the state of California. This year’s educator alumni, to date, who have been recognized as county Teacher of the Year in California are as follows:
L. Brooke Crocker – San Diego County
Stuart Douglas – San Diego County
Amy Schwenke – San Diego County
Dominique Evans-Bye – Los Angeles County
Carrie Trupp – Los Angeles County
Deborah Holland – Los Angeles County
Tricia Kalma – Los Angeles County
Matthew Bidwell – Orange County
Renee Wells – Kern County
Tricia Ruiz – Madera County
“From district teacher of the year to national teacher of the year, and at every step along the way, you will find outstanding and dedicated educators being recognized every year,” said Dr. Judy Mantle, Dean of the Sanford College of Education at National University. “That such a significant percentage of these teachers are NU alumni speaks directly to the quality and caliber of our graduates and credential completers.”
The Teacher of the Year programs start at the school district and county levels, followed by state recognitions in the fall, and then concludes with a highly publicized ceremony the U.S. President hosts for the U.S. Teacher of the Year. National University alumna, Sandra McBrayer, earned the honor of the nation’s top teacher in 1995.