Teachers
PUSD has many great teachers. Please let us know if you would like to highlight a teacher who you believe delivers the highest quality education to students.
PUSD Teachers of the Year
| Year | Name | School | Grade | Teaching Area / Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Nicole Stowell | Sunset Hills Elementary | Education Specialist | |
| Ross Kallen | Rancho Bernardo High | Visual/Technical Arts | ||
| Elise Milling | Mesa Verde Middle | 8th Grade | Humanities & Performing Arts | |
| 2023 | Christina Bass | Painted Rock Elementary | 3rd Grade | Student Council Advisor, & has a "Panther Section" at high school sporting events |
| Carrie Jennings | Monterey Ridge Elementary | 3rd Grade | Supports multiple pathways for students to success (visual, auditory & reading) | |
| 2023 | Sanford Carvajal | Mt Carmel High | ASB Advisor & overseas several clubs | |
| 2022 | Jeanne “Nay” Flinn | Connect Academy | Kindergarten | Kindergarten |
| Aimee McCoy | Mesa Verde Middle School | 8th Grade | Humanities and AVID | |
| Andrea Ford | Westview High School | Spanish | ||
| 2021 | Tasha Griffin | Del Norte High School | Social Studies (launched the Del Norte Equity/Anti-Racism Task Force) | |
| Julie Spychalski | Twin Peaks Middle School | Physical Education | ||
| Carlos LaGrange | Westview High School | Resource Specialist (member of the Westview Equity Team) | ||
| 2020 | Laura Snow | Pomerado Elementary School | K-2 | Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| Aaron Smith | Bernardo Heights Middle School | Physical Education | ||
| Amy Hillebrecht | Twin Peaks Middle School | 6th Grade | Science & Math | |
| 2019 | Sarah McCracken | Midland Elementary School | 2nd Grade | |
| Coleen Montgomery | Rancho Bernardo High School | English, Honors Humanities, AVID, and Critical Study of Mass Media | ||
| Stephen Whittaker | Oak Valley Middle School | Math, Science and Special Education | ||
| 2018 | Katie Wu | Westview High School | English | |
| Shantel Raquel | Del Sur Elementary School | 1st and 2nd Grades | First and Second Grades | |
| Ana Collins | Valley Elementary School | Resource Specialist, Spanish Immersion |
Teachers' Unions
Traditionally, teachers' unions are labor organizations supporting teachers and promoting better working conditions for teachers through collective bargaining negotiations with school district decision makers. Over time, teachers' unions have become political advocacy groups that campaign for political causes, issues, and candidates. In recent years, teachers' unions in the U.S. have also engaged in advocating for ideological issues such as the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT). Over 90% of political contributions from teachers' unions go to support candidates and causes from the Democratic Party. Due to their engagement with organized politics, teachers' unions are frequently criticized by policy observers and education advocates as a hindrance for educational excellence.
Teachers' Union Opt-out Information
It’s your paycheck. Union membership is your choice : go to MyPay MySay or Opt Out Today to learn more.
PUSD has one active teachers' union: The Poway Federation of Teachers (PFT).
During the 2022 November elections, the Poway Federation of Teachers endorsed and donated to the following school board candidates who won their races:
- Ginger Couvrette
- Michael O'Connor - Ratcliff
- Heather Plotzke
During the 2024 November elections, the Poway Federation of Teachers endorsed and donated to the following school board candidates who lost their races:
- Dr. Devesh Vashishtha
- Dr. Cindy Sytsma (The California Teachers Association also endorsed and donated to Cindy.)