South County Dominates Educator of the Year Awards

Educators and institutions serving south Santa Cruz County took center stage earlier this month as the Santa Cruz County Office of Education announced its 2026 Educator of the Year award honorees, with Cabrillo College and multiple employees from Pajaro Valley Unified School District being honored.

The annual awards recognize teachers, classified staff, counselors, administrators and community partners whose work has had a significant impact on students and families throughout Santa Cruz County. This year’s honorees are mostly from the south end of the county.

Three of the top countywide awards went to Pajaro Valley Unified School District employees, while Cabrillo College was named Community Partner of the Year.

Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah praised the recipients for their dedication to students and families.

“Congratulations to this incredible group of honorees, whose deep commitment to student success reflects the very best of public education,” Sabbah said in a statement. “Their service and leadership help us build a school community rooted in equity and belonging, making a lasting impact on students and families and setting an example for all of us to follow.”

The honorees will be formally recognized May 21 during a meeting of the Santa Cruz County Board of Education at the county office of education headquarters in Santa Cruz. Each recipient will receive a plaque, and their names will be added to the county’s perpetual Educators of the Year display.

Shireen Goudarzi, a third-grade teacher at H. A. Hyde Elementary School, was named Teacher of the Year. Goudarzi is a Watsonville native who attended PVUSD schools as a student before later earning a master’s degree in education from UC Santa Cruz and returning to teach in the same community where she grew up.

She has spent all 25 years of her teaching career at H.A. Hyde Elementary School, teaching grades one through four and participating in dual-language first-grade instruction. County education officials described her as a teacher known for creativity, strong classroom management and a deep ability to connect with students.

Another South County honoree, Emily Tatro, was named Classified Employee of the Year for her work at Linscott Charter School. Tatro serves as student information and enrollment manager at the Watsonville school. Before entering education, she worked as a paralegal, a background county officials said helped shape her skills in organization, advocacy and communication.

According to the county office, Tatro first became involved with the school as a volunteer before joining the staff full time three years ago. Since then, she has focused on helping students and families feel welcomed and supported, especially during enrollment and other transitions that can be stressful for families.

The county’s Administrator of the Year award went to Marina Maldonado, academic coordinator and assistant principal at Amesti Elementary School. Maldonado has worked in Pajaro Valley Unified School District since 2007 in a range of educational roles. County officials said she has consistently focused on helping both students and educators succeed.

As a classroom teacher, Maldonado emphasized student engagement through creativity, fun and student choice. Later, as a technology teacher on special assignment, she helped students build digital and 21st-century learning skills, work that earned her recognition as a Pajaro Valley Education Foundation Innovator of the Year.

Cabrillo College was honored as Community Partner of the Year. The community college, which operates campuses in Aptos and Watsonville, serves approximately 15,000 students annually and plays a central role in higher education access for local residents.

Founded in 1959, Cabrillo has become one of the county’s primary educational and workforce training institutions, offering more than 100 academic and career technical education programs. Those programs include transfer degrees, vocational certificates, skills training and lifelong learning opportunities.

Its Watsonville Center has become especially important for South County students. The center has expanded access to higher education in a region where transportation and economic barriers can often make commuting difficult.

County officials also emphasized Cabrillo’s role as a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution. Approximately half of Cabrillo’s students identify as Latino, reflecting the demographics of much of South Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley.

The Educator of the Year awards also recognized two Counselors of the Year due to a tie in the selection process. Cynthia Fernandez, counselor at Costanoa Career Prep High School and Ark Independent Studies in Santa Cruz, was honored for her long work in alternative education. The second counseling honoree, Kayla Raymond, serves as a mental health specialist at San Lorenzo Valley Middle School. Raymond previously worked with alternative education programs operated by the county office of education and with foster and probation youth through Encompass Community Services.

County officials said nominees for the awards were evaluated using statewide professional standards for teachers and educational leaders. Criteria included the ability to inspire learning, maintain high expectations for students, demonstrate strong communication and collaboration skills and show commitment to the communities they serve.

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The awards ceremony is scheduled for May 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Santa Cruz County Office of Education board room on Encinal Street in Santa Cruz.