REGION — Several North County educators were among 51 recognized as district teachers of the year at the San Diego County Office of Education’s 35th annual Cox Presents: Salute to Teachers event on April 25.
Teachers from Carlsbad, Encinitas, Escondido, Fallbrook, Oceanside, Poway, Ramona, San Dieguito, San Marcos and Vista school districts were honored during the ceremony, held in partnership with Cox Communications and presented by San Diego County Credit Union.
Most of the district honorees will now advance to compete for one of five San Diego County Teacher of the Year titles, which are expected to be announced by June 15.
“Teachers shape the lives of students every day, inspiring them by creating spaces where every student feels seen, supported, and empowered,” said Dr. Gloria E. Ciriza, San Diego County superintendent of schools. “We’re honored to partner with organizations like Cox Communications and San Diego County Credit Union to shine a light on and celebrate the more than 20,000 educators who show up every day to help shape a more just, compassionate, and hopeful future for all kids.”
As part of the event, Cox Communications will produce a 30-minute television special highlighting the district winners and showcasing moments from the ceremony. The program will air this fall on Cox’s YurView network, Channel 4 on Cox and Spectrum.
The San Diego County Office of Education and Cox Communications have collaborated to celebrate teachers for more than three decades.
“At Cox Communications, we’re passionate about celebrating the educators who ignite curiosity and inspire achievement in our students,” said Chanelle Hawken, market vice president for Cox Communications. “Salute to Teachers is our way of honoring these dedicated professionals who are shaping the future of San Diego County.”
North County’s 2025 District Teachers of the Year include:
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Madeline Menker, Carlsbad Unified School District
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Brooke Klein, Encinitas Union School District
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Cassandra Johnson and Corina Martinez, Escondido Union School District
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Monica Lee, Escondido Union High School District
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Dan Nielsen, Fallbrook Union High School District
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Helen Weisz, Fallbrook Union Elementary School District
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Liliana Garcia and Sally Cohenour-Kerl, Oceanside Unified School District
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Carissa Jones-Fletcher, Christopher Koreerat, and Alyssa Roscoe, Poway Unified School District
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Donald Wiseman, Ramona Unified School District
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Kathryn Stevens, San Dieguito Union High School District
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Christopher Coughlin and Jamie Lora, San Marcos Unified School District
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Marcia Encinas, Vista Unified School District
The complete list of honorees includes teachers from all 42 public school districts in San Diego County, as well as several charter and county-run schools.
