Do you know a teacher or school employee who has made an invaluable impact on the lives of Orange County students?
Parenting OC is now accepting nominations for its School Heroes of Orange County awards program. For its 12th annual recognition, the local publication seeks to celebrate outstanding educators, school leaders and staff from public, private, online and alternative K-12 schools who inspire students and colleagues to reach their full potential.
Nominations for teachers, classified school staff and administrators can be submitted online through Parenting OC by Dec. 2. To qualify, all applications must be approved by the nominee’s administrator or principal before being reviewed by the publication’s panel of judges.
Parents, students, school staff and community members are encouraged to recommend their favorite education professional. The winners will then be featured in Parenting OC’s Top Teachers & Employees issue in March.
Last year, the Top Teacher of the Year honor went to English teacher Elizabeth Ellison at Fisler School in the Fullerton School District. Along with Ellison, Franklin Elementary School Principal Samuel Perla was named Top School Leader for his work in the Santa Ana Unified School District, while Tania Morales, an early childhood classroom manager, earned the Top Employee title for her role serving the Beyond Blindness preschool program.
It’s important to note that the School Heroes of Orange County recognition is separate from the OCDE’s Teachers of the Year program, which hosted its annual ceremony at the Disneyland Hotel earlier this month and advances finalists to compete in the state Teacher of the Year program.
Award category details and criteria for nominations can be found on the Top Teacher & Employee Awards webpage at Parenting OC. For more information on the awards program, contact Madison Amirehteshami at madison@parentingoc.com or 714-630-4510.