Two Riverside County educators were among five 2021 California Teachers of the Year honorees announced Wednesday by the state Department of Education.
Keisa Brown teaches seventh- and eighth-grade Spanish, as well as other subjects, at University Heights Middle School in the Riverside Unified School District, and Allison Cyr is a third-grade multi-subject teacher at Johnson Elementary School in the Desert Sands Unified School District.
The other three awardees were Laura Gomez Contreras, Santa Ana Unified School District in Orange County; Jim Klipfel,Hart High Union School District in Los Angeles County; and Nora Wynne, McKinleyville Union School District in Humboldt County.
“In a year that might be the most challenging in all of our lives, these five inspiring teachers have made profound differences in the lives of their students and communities,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said. “I’m proud that these educators are receiving this prestigious honor for their continued effort to rise above the challenges and connect with students even during unimaginable circumstances.”