Teacher of the Year

Following the announcement of our school-level Teacher of the Year (TOY) nominees, three teachers have been selected as TOY finalists, all in the running to be named Orange County Schools Teacher of the Year!

A selection committee reviews each nominee’s recommendation letters, resume, and two essays on the teaching profession, then interviews each nominee to select three finalists. The OCS 2026-2027 Teacher of the Year will be announced Tuesday, April 28 at a special award banquet for all the nominees.

read all about our teacher of the year finalists!

Each year, teachers from all 13 OCS schools are nominated by their peers and colleagues to represent their schools and the excellence of our teachers in the district.

Through an extensive and thorough nomination process, each teacher is recognized by their schools and the district as a Teacher of the Year. One of these 13 school-level Teachers of the Year will be chosen to represent Orange County Schools and go on for the chance to be named the Teacher of the Year at the regional and state levels. 

During their year of service, each teacher will serve in a cohort of their fellow Teachers of the Year on the Superintendent’s Roundtable, collaborating with their peers and district staff to engage in high-level, data driven discussions to help improve the experiences of teachers and students in the district.

Superintendent Dr. Danielle Jones said,

“I congratulate these teachers on being chosen to represent their schools and their colleagues in the teaching profession. Gaining the insight and leadership of our classroom educators is essential for us to continually improve outcomes for our students. I look forward to working with this cohort to align our work and support all our teachers next year.”

In late April, Orange County Schools will name one of these teacher leaders as our district Teacher of the Year, who will participate in state and regional competitions and professional development opportunities. The results are in for the Orange County Schools 2026-27 Teachers of the Year!

Congratulations are in order for each of these 13 outstanding teacher leaders! Orange County Schools is grateful for their leadership and excited for the support they will provide to students and colleagues during the coming school year!

More details will be forthcoming about the 2026-2027 OCS Teacher of the Year process as finalists are named and a district winner is announced in April.