It has been said the influence of a great teacher can never be erased. Even as old fashioned chalkboards are eschewed in favor of hand-held digital devices, the mark of a stellar teacher, like the memory of a A-plus grade written in red grease pencil atop a turned-in assignment, lasts for decades, if not a lifetime.

The commitment and contributions of Canyons teachers, regardless of the classes or grades they teach,  are celebrated every spring when CSD schools honors educators at all District schools and programs. This year is no different — and parents, students, patrons, and employees are invited to submit nominations for CSD’s 2023 Teacher of the Year, an honor that will be announced in April.

Nominations will be accepted via the online nomination tool until 5 p.m. on Feb. 6.

Here’s how you can help CSD select the 2023 Teacher of the Year:

• Access the nomination form
• Complete the form on why you think your nominee should be recognized.  The online nomination form will be sent to the principal where the nominated teacher works. The forms will then be reviewed by the School Community Council chair, the PTA/PTSA President, and an Education Support Professional representative. This group will select the school’s winner.
• Watch for social media posts featuring the March 29-31 Teacher of the Year surprise announcement at the schools and programs.
• Attend or watch the live-stream of the Tuesday, April 25 ceremony to hear which CSD teacher was selected for her or his commitment to student achievement, innovation, and leadership. The time and location of the announcement ceremony will be made public in the coming weeks.

An evaluation process helps narrow the list to a group of semifinalists. From that field, three finalists are selected — one from the elementary level, another from the middle schools, and one from the high school ranks of educators.

One of the three finalists is then selected to represent Canyons in the state Teacher of the Year contest. The winning educator also will receive the 2023 Apex Award for Teacher of the Year, the highest honor given to teachers by the Canyons Board of Education and Administration.

Every school-based Teacher of the Year will receive gifts, prizes, and a $250 gift card and a cooler backpack from the Canyons Education Foundation.

The Canyons District Teacher of the Year program is generously supported by local businesses and the Canyons Education Foundation, which also provides $500 cash prizes for each finalist. The overall Teacher of the Year receives an additional $500 from the Foundation and its partners.

CSD’s top teacher in 2022 was Draper Elementary’s Katie Tinoco. In 2021, CSD honored Alta High’s Traci Raymond. Eastmont Middle’s Emma Moss won the award in 2020.

Midvale Elementary teacher Jessica Beus was Canyons’ Teacher of the Year in 2019. In 2018, Corner Canyon High’s Amber Rogers, received the cash prize from the Canyons Education Foundation. Previous CSD Teacher of the Year winners include Union Middle’s Drew Fosse, Peruvian Park Elementary’s Gretchen Murray, Alta High’s Matt Leininger, Brookwood Elementary’s Monica Rotermund, Sprucewood Elementary’s Michele Law, Eastmont Middle’s Amy Bateman, Quail Hollow’ Elementary’s Naomi Damron, and Brighton High’s Barb Scrafford.