Las Vegas, NV — Teach Plus congratulates Teach Plus Nevada Senior Policy Fellow and 2021 Nevada Teacher of the Year Juliana Urtubey on being named a finalist for the prestigious 2021 National Teacher of the Year award. A National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT), Juliana is committed to improving educational equity and access for her students, as well as pursuing social justice and racial equity within her school and community. The four finalists are selected for the nation’s top teaching honor by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), which runs the National Teacher of the Year program, and the winner is announced in the spring.
“Juliana’s talent in the classroom, commitment to her profession and her peers, and passion for elevating and empowering her students exemplify the very best of teaching,” said Roberto Rodriguez, Teach Plus President and CEO. “I congratulate Juliana on being named a finalist for the National Teacher of the Year. We’re proud to count Juliana among our exceptional teacher leaders at Teach Plus, and we’re all cheering her on as she represents Nevada and the best of our profession on the national stage.”
“I congratulate Juliana on achieving this prestigious, national recognition. Juliana serves her students and families with great humility and grace,” said Dr. Tonia Holmes-Sutton, Teach Plus Nevada Executive Director. “She is a highly accomplished advocate, dedicated to elevating the teaching profession through her commitment to excellence and equity in education. It is a privilege to have Juliana serve as a state and national teacher leader.”
Juliana’s selection marks the first time in 60 years that CCSSO has chosen a Nevada educator as finalist for the National Teacher of the Year award. Her work with Teach Plus is focused on the issues of teacher retention, restorative justice, and teacher leadership, all of which are critical to the teaching and learning during COVID-19. As teacher leaders, Juliana and her cohort of Teach Plus Policy Fellows are leading and advocating for their students’ needs in hybrid and remote learning, family engagement and support, their communities’ social and emotional wellness, and equitable education funding during the COVID-10 crisis and beyond.
About Teach Plus
Teach Plus is dedicated to the mission of empowering excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that advance equity, opportunity, and student success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning, to create an education system driven by access and excellence for all. teachplus.org
