The Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) is accepting nominations for Teacher of the Year. Alameda residents who would like to name a teacher who goes above and beyond in (and out of) the classroom are encouraged to submit a nomination form for that teacher. 

“I wholeheartedly support this annual tradition because it gives families, staff and community members a chance to sing the praises of our many excellent teachers,” said Superintendent Sean McPhetridge. “Every year I can’t wait to learn who has been nominated and what innovative teaching practices they use.”

Nomination forms are available on the Employee Recognition page of AUSD’s website. The deadline to submit nominations to the nominee’s principal is 3 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 1.  

Once all the nominees are in, a selection committee will meet to screen applications and determine which ones will move onto the next phase: classroom observations. During that stage, committee members will visit classrooms, interview finalists and determine this year’s Teacher of the Year.

The winner will be honored by the Board of Education in May and by the Alameda County Office of Education in the fall. He or she also becomes eligible for the Alameda County Teacher of the Year Award, as well as potentially the State Teacher of the Year Award.

In recent years, the award has gone to a wide range of teachers. In 2014 the district honored Michael Lamb for his deep commitment to students and his awareness of what each individual student was doing. 

In 2015 AUSD named John Dalton Teacher of the Year for his passion for teaching and his dedication to the craft of media production, as well as his support of career technical education.

Last year Ruby Bridges Elementary School’s Mandie Cline received the honor for starting an innovative anti-bullying program.