Three San Diego Unified educators will be honored Tuesday as the school district's 2021 Teachers of the Year following a school year filled with unprecedented challenges.
The district's elementary, middle and high school teachers of the year will be recognized at a virtual ceremony this afternoon held in conjunction with National Teacher Appreciation Week. The ceremony will be livestreamed at https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/teacher-of-the-year/teachers-of-the-year.
This year's winners are:
— Thomas Courtney, a fifth-grade teacher from Chollas-Mead Elementary,
— Guadalupe Celedon, a sixth- to eighth-grade study skills and Spanish teacher from CPMA Middle School and;
— Sharon Apple, a ninth-grade English and Intro to Ethnic Studies teacher from Hoover High School.
According to SDUSD, this year's theme is "Teachers: Leading in crisis, fostering resiliency and building a better San Diego," which the district says "reminds us that our teachers have had a significant role in the resiliency of our students and our education system. Teachers are essential to ensuring we emerge from the pandemic stronger with the promise of a better tomorrow."
The 5 p.m. celebration, hosted by Fox5 News anchor Raoul Martinez, will also honor the three Teacher of the Year runners-up and more than 250 other teachers selected as Teachers of the Year by their individual schools.
The district's 2020 honorees will also be recognized, as last year's ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
