California Teachers of the Year named

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has named the 2022 California Teachers of the Year.

Alondra Diaz will represent the state in the National Teacher of the Year competition in the spring. Diaz is a third-grade teacher at Ralph A. Gates Elementary School, a dual immersion school in the Saddleback Valley Unified District.

The other four Teachers of the Year are Nichi Avina, a middle school science teacher at Cielo Vista Charter School in the Palm Springs Unified School District in Riverside County; Sovantevy Long-Latteri, a special education teacher at La Sierra High School in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District in Orange County; Tiffany Jokerst, a high school math and engineering teacher at West Hills High School in the Grossmont Union High School District in San Diego County; and Virginia Vasquez, an AP language and composition teacher at San Gabriel High School in the Alhambra Unified School District in Los Angeles County.

“In what may be the toughest ever time for California families, students and educators, these five innovative and caring teachers have made profound differences in the lives of their students and communities,” Thurmond said in a statement. “I’m proud that these educators are receiving this prestigious honor for their continued effort to connect with students even during unimaginable circumstances, to address their needs, and support them in any way they can.”

The five teachers were selected by Thurmond after a California Department of Education selection committee reviewed applications, interviewed teachers and evaluated their teaching abilities. The teachers were nominated by their county offices of education.

The program began in 1972 to honor outstanding teachers and encourage and inspire new teachers to enter the profession, according to the Department of Education.