California Teachers of the Year named in Valencia, Duarte, downtown LA

LOS ANGELES — Three Los Angeles County educators were named Monday among the five 2024 California Teachers of the Year.

The educators are ambassadors for the profession and serve as representatives of the state for the year, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said.

“Congratulations to these five remarkable educators, who all display deep commitment and innovation in their work — all while supporting their students through a difficult time,” Thurmond said in a statement. “They make profound differences in their students’ lives and provide both inspiration and the practical tools that students need to succeed. They’re all prime examples of the exceptional work going on in California schools.”

The 2024 California Teachers of the Year from L.A. County are:

— Casey Cuny, a high school honors English and Senior Myth and Folklore teacher at William S. Hart High School and Valencia High School in the William S. Hart Unified School District. Thurmond nominated Cuny as California’s representative for the National Teacher of the Year competition where he will compete against other state nominees. The 2024 National Teacher of the Year will be announced in the spring.

— Andrew Lewis, a high school music teacher at downtown LA’s Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts in the Los Angeles Unified School District

— Hannah Rodriguez, a pre-kindergarten special education teacher at Beardslee Dual Language Immersion Academy in the Duarte Unified School District

Also Monday, three L.A. County educators were named 2024 California Teachers of the Year finalists. They are:

— Alanna Grimaldi, a sixth-grade science teacher at Luther Burbank Middle School in the Burbank Unified School District

— Allison Meloserdoff, an interventionist at Wild Rose School of Creative Arts in the Monrovia Unified School District

— Kirsten Neill, a fifth-grade multiple subject teacher in the Downey Unified School District

The finalists represent their counties and will serve as County Teachers of the Year.

Presented by the California Department of Education and supported by the California Teachers of the Year Foundation, the California Teachers of the Year Program began in 1972 to honor outstanding teachers and encourage and inspire new teachers to enter the profession.

County offices of education nominate California Teachers of the Year applicants through county-level competitions. CDE selection committees review applications, evaluate teachers’ rapport with students and their classroom environments, presentation skills, and teaching techniques, and interview the teachers. The state Superintendent of Public Instruction then selects five California Teachers of the Year and the National Teacher of the Year nominee.