Stephanie Cluxton, Jacqueline Ma, Juanita Nuñez, Melissa Rains and Aimee McCoy honored
San Diego County’s Teachers of the Year for 2022-23 — five teachers judged to be outstanding in county education — were announced Friday evening.
Cluxton graduated from UC Irvine with a bachelor’s degree in art history. She received a multiple subject teaching credential from UC Irvine’s School of Education and started her career in Orange County, where she became a UCI Writing Project Fellow. She started at the Del Mar district in 1995.
Ma was instrumental in helping colleagues and students engage successfully with the technology needed to keep learning. “I could not have survived without her when it came to virtual teaching,” wrote Cynthia Valle-Lone, a teacher at Lincoln Acres Elementary. “This was a new era of teaching that was abruptly brought upon all educators. However, Ms.
McCoy noted in her application that children and teens are often underestimated. “Giving students an opportunity to express their voice while learning is fundamental. Students have more buy-in to the learning process, increased engagement, and feel valued. I want students to have the voice that I never had the opportunity to while in school,” she wrote. In her work with the AVID academic support program, she teaches students “how to be students. I use AVID methodologies ...
“As a teacher in a school where 80 percent of the students are English Language Learners, and 84 percent are economically disadvantaged, Ms. Nuñez was purposeful in her instruction and interactions, acknowledging their individuality and addressed their needs accordingly,” wrote Manuela Colom-Ramirez, retired executive director of educational services in the San Ysidro district. “The use of hands-on Science and Technology empowered students to be themselves and take risks. ... Ms.