TEACHER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM
The 2023-2024 San Diego Unified School District Teacher of the Year Program has begun. The road to District Teacher of the Year begins at your school site. Learn about the process here.
The deadline to submit a Teacher of the Year School Site Nomination is January 9, 2024.
The deadline to submit your District Teacher of the Year application is February 6, 2024
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6 - 10, 2024
In observance of National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6-10, 2024 San Diego Unified will be holding a special celebration honoring the district’s Teachers of the Year. Six District Teachers of the Year will be honored at the Day of the Teacher celebration on Tuesday, May 7, at 5:00 p.m.
During this week, we invite everyone to honor educators by sharing a post, image or video of a special educator in their life. We encourage everyone to Thank a teacher either in-person, or on social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok) using the hashtag #ThankATeacherSD.
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ABOUT THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM
The purpose of San Diego Unified's Teachers of the Year Program (TOY) is to pay tribute to the tireless efforts of our district's outstanding teachers. In doing so, the program brings deserved recognition to the hard working, innovative members of the teaching profession. It is the goal of San Diego Unified School District to recognize and honor outstanding teachers on an annual basis.
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 San Diego Unified School District is seeking nominations of outstanding educators from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 and adult education to be Teacher of the Year.
The Teacher of the Year nomination process allows every school site an opportunity to nominate a teacher to compete for San Diego Unified School District Teacher of the Year. Of those nominees, three outstanding educators are named San Diego Unified Teachers of the Year at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Additionally, three Teacher of the Year runners-up, and teachers selected as Teachers of the Year by their individual schools are recognized annually during National Teacher Appreciation Week.
All Teachers of the Year will be honored at the 2024 Day of the Teacher event on May 7, 2024.