Teachers
Here you can share your feedback on PUSD teachers and review information on PUSD's "Teachers of the Year".
PUSD Teachers of Year Over the Years
| Name | School / Grade | Teaching Area / Hightlights | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Jeanne “Nay” Flinn | Connect Academy/ Kindergarten | Kindergarten |
| Aimee McCoy | Mesa Verde Middle School/ 8th Grade | Humanities and AVID | |
| Andrea Ford | Westview High School | Spanish | |
| 2021 | Tasha Griffin | Del Norte High School | Social Studies (launched the Del Norte Equity/Anti-Racism Task Force) |
| Julie Spychalski | Twin Peaks Middle School | Physical Education | |
| Carlos LaGrange | Westview High School | Resource Specialist (member of the Westview Equity Team) | |
| 2020 | Amy Hillebrecht | Twin Peaks Middle School / 6th Grade | Science & Math |
| Aaron Smith | Bernardo Heights Middle School | Physical Education | |
| Laura Snow | Pomerado Elementary School/K-2 | Autism Spectrum Disorder | |
| 2019 | Stephen Whittaker | Oak Valley Middle School | Math, Science and Special Education |
| Coleen Montgomery | Rancho Bernardo High School | English, Honors Humanities, AVID, and Critical Study of Mass Media | |
| Sarah McCracken | Midland Elementary School/2nd Grade | Second Grade and GATE coordinator | |
| 2018 | Ana Collins | Valley Elementary School | Resource Specialist, Spanish Immersion |
| Shantel Raquel | Del Sur Elementary School/ 1st and 2nd Grades | First and Second Grades | |
| Katie Wu | Westview High School | English |
Teachers' Unions
Traditionally, teachers' unions are labor organizations supporting teachers and promoting better working conditions for teachers through collective bargaining negotiations with school district decision makers. Over time, teachers' unions have become political advocacy groups that campaign for political causes, issues and candidates. In recent years, teachers' unions in the U.S. have also engaged in advocating for ideological issues such as the teaching of Critical Race Theory. Over 90% of political contributions from teachers' unions go to support candidates and causes from the Democratic Party. Due to their engagement with organized politics, teachers' unions are frequently criticized by policy observers and education advocates as a hinderance for educational excellence.
In PUSD, one teachers' union is active: The Poway Federation of Teachers.
During the 2022 November elections, the Poway Federation of Teachers endorsed and donated to the following school board candidates who won their races:
- Ginger Couvrette
- Heather Plotzke
- Michael O'Connor-Ratcliff