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Colorado Teacher of the Year

2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year. Nomination deadline May 28. Colorado Department of Education, Denver 7 and Boettcher Foundation.

Nominations for 2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year

Do you know an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled K-12 classroom teacher? Nominate them to be the next Colorado Teacher of the Year! Anyone - students, family or community members, even fellow teachers - can nominate an amazing teacher in their life to apply.

Complete this brief online survey with some basic information about the educator you're nominating for this award. Once a teacher is nominated, they are sent a notification and invitation to apply. The 2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year application is coming soon.

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Photo of Jessica May, 2024 Teacher of the Year from Colorado

2024 Colorado Teacher of the Year

Jessica May, a middle school teacher at Turner Middle School in the Thompson School District, was named the 2024 Colorado Teacher of the Year today in a surprise ceremony at her school. May teaches family and consumer science at Turner Middle School in Berthoud and taught at Conrad Ball Middle School in Loveland last school year when she was nominated. She has taught for decades in the Thompson School District, covering all manner of subjects including math, social studies, science and language arts.

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Image for Teacher of the year

About Colorado's Teacher of the Year Program

Honoring and Elevating Teachers

Each year, the Colorado Teacher of the Year Program honors an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled K-12 classroom teacher to represent the entire profession in the state. The selected teacher will automatically become Colorado's nominee for the National Teacher of the Year competition, a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers

The Colorado Teacher of the Year receives many professional development opportunities and, along with the country's other teachers of the year, is honored at a special ceremony at the White House and gets the opportunity to go to NASA's Space Camp. The teacher also becomes a member of the Colorado Education Commissioner's Teacher Cabinet.

View previous Colorado Teachers of the Year

Preserving and Enhancing Teacher of the Year Programs

The Colorado Council of the Network of State Teachers of the Year (NSTOY) is an organization committed to the preservation and enhancement of the Colorado Teacher of the Year Program. The Council works with the Colorado Department of Education and other corporate and organizational partners to celebrate teaching excellence through the recognition of educators who have inspired a love for learning in their students, and who have distinguished themselves in the profession.

All Colorado State Teachers of the Year, as well as each year's finalists, are invited to participate.

Learn more on the Colorado Council's website

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Contact Us

Need more information?

Please contact Patty Gleason in Grants Program Administration, Gleason_P@cde.state.co.us, 303-910-5721 (c).

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