Contra Costa Crowns 2 Top Teachers, Honors Many

CONTRA COSTA, CA — Two educators will advance to the California State Teacher of the Year competition Thursday night after Contra Costa County chooses its top teachers from four finalists with decades of classroom and leadership experience.

The Contra Costa County Office of Education announced the winners during its 54th Annual Teachers of the Year Dinner and Celebration.

The four finalists were Evette Evers-Threatt of Pittsburg Unified School District, Julee Henderson of Acalanes Union High School District, Stephanie Sado of Orinda Union School District, and Rebecca St. Michel of Brentwood Union School District.

“Surprising our Teacher of the Year finalists is something I look forward to each year,” Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey said.

“Seeing the joy on their faces and the pride of their administrators is a powerful reminder of why this work matters," Mackey said.

The county selected the four finalists from 22 candidates nominated by their school districts, the Contra Costa County Office of Education, and the Contra Costa Community College District.

Mackey joined principals, administrators, district superintendents, parent leaders, families, and colleagues to surprise Sado, Evers-Threatt, and St. Michel with the news. Henderson, who was out of town, received a surprise phone call.

Evers-Threatt has taught middle school students for more than 30 years. She teaches English Language Arts to sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students at Martin Luther King Jr. Junior High School in Pittsburg.

She provides culturally responsive instruction focused on reading, writing, and academic discourse. She has served as an Instructional Leadership Team member, instructional coach, and mentor teacher.

“Teaching, for me, is both a passion and a profound privilege,” Evers-Threatt wrote in her application. “However, with the passion and privilege is a strong sense of urgency and responsibility because teaching is an act of social justice.”

That perspective guides her work in creating inclusive classrooms that emphasize critical thinking, collaboration, and student voice.

Henderson has worked in mathematics education for more than 33 years, including 17 years at Acalanes High School in Lafayette.

She leads professional development, develops curriculum aligned with state standards, and supports intervention programs for diverse learners. Her work emphasizes collaboration, data-informed instruction, equitable access, and inclusive learning environments.

“School was my safe place when I was growing up,” Henderson wrote. “My teachers gave me a nurturing haven to learn and just be me, and in turn instilled a great love of learning and working well with others.”

Sado works as a Literacy Intervention Teacher on Special Assignment in the Orinda Union School District, where she supports kindergarten through fifth-grade students. During her 21 years in education, she has taught multiple grade levels and helped struggling readers develop foundational skills and confidence.

She helped establish a data-driven reading intervention program that provides timely, targeted support.

“My philosophy of teaching is grounded in the belief that all students can learn at high levels when given the right support,” Sado said. “Students thrive when they know their teacher genuinely cares about them, understands their strengths, and fosters their growth.”

St. Michel has taught for 27 years in the Brentwood Union School District, serving third- through fifth-grade students at Brentwood Elementary School.

She focuses on building relationships and trust, encouraging students to take ownership of their learning, and using positive reinforcement and goal setting to promote growth. Her classroom emphasizes strong connections, high expectations, and persistence.

“Building relationships and trust is the foundation of my personal teaching philosophy,” St. Michel wrote.

St. Michel has supported nine credential candidates as a cooperating teacher, served eight years as a Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment provider, and belonged to the district’s Curriculum and Instruction Team since 2010.

The celebration will recognize the following 2026-27 district Teachers of the Year:

• Julee Henderson, Acalanes Union High School District, Acalanes High School
• Arielle Foley, Antioch Unified School District, Black Diamond Middle School
• Rebecca St. Michel, Brentwood Union School District, Brentwood Elementary School
• Kimberly Berry, Byron Union School District, Timber Point Elementary School
• Destiny Castellanos, CCCOE Student Programs, multiple school sites
• Angie Goularte, John Swett Unified School District, Rodeo Hills Elementary School
• Noelle Gould, Knightsen Elementary School District, Knightsen Elementary School
• Melissa Johnston, Lafayette School District, Spring Hill Elementary School
• Stephen Apel, Liberty Union High School District, Freedom High School
• Katie Collins, Martinez Unified School District, Martinez Junior High School
• Christina Mignano, Moraga School District, Los Perales Elementary School
• April Saldivar, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Shore Acres Elementary School
• Mary Acebu, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Riverview Middle School
• Wendy Perry, Oakley Union Elementary School District, Gehringer Elementary School
• Stephanie Sado, Orinda Union Elementary School District, Wagner Ranch Elementary School
• Evette Evers-Threatt, Pittsburg Unified School District, Martin Luther King Jr. Junior High School
• Austin Glimme, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Vista Grande Elementary School
• Wally Bean, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Windemere Ranch Middle School
• Brittany Forrette, Walnut Creek School District, Parkmead Elementary School
• Benjamin Carpenter, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Kennedy High School
• Carolyn Landau, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Kensington Elementary School
• Aaron Prater, Contra Costa Community College District, Diablo Valley College

All but one county school district is participating this year. The honorees represent more than 8,000 teachers.

Mt. Diablo, San Ramon Valley, and West Contra Costa unified school districts may each nominate two teachers because of their size.

The community college nomination rotates among Diablo Valley, Los Medanos, and Contra Costa colleges and receives recognition only at the county level.

The Hercules High School Concert Choir will perform during the celebration.

Contra Costa County has California’s 11th-largest public school student population, with approximately 169,394 students.

More information about the Teacher of the Year program and donations is available at cocoschools.org/toy.