This week, ROP teacher Ashley Uraine received a call from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, who personally informed her that she had been selected as a 2027 California Teacher of the Year (CA TOY). Uraine teaches for the Colton Redlands Yucaipa Regional Occupational Program (CRY-ROP) at Yucaipa High School, where she has prepared over three hundred students to take state exams and become Certified Medical Assistants. In addition to teaching high school students, Uraine mentors new teachers as they enter the profession.
“Receiving this recognition as a California Teacher of the Year is an incredible honor and a reflection of the students, colleagues, and mentors who have supported me throughout my time in education. This award does not just reflect on me, but on every teacher who shows up each day with passion, purpose, and a commitment to changing lives.”
Uraine’s application was submitted to the State after being recognized as a Countywide Teacher of the Year by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. The California Department of Education (CDE) sent a validation team to visit her classroom and subsequently participated in a virtual interview with a state panel. Uraine is the first California Teacher of the Year to represent San Bernardino County in twenty years.
Jason Angle, Superintendent of CRY-ROP, enthusiastically said, “Ashley represents all that is right about career technical education, giving students meaningful options after high school. Many of her students begin working in the medical field immediately while others choose to go to college with aspirations of eventually serving as doctors.”
The CDE website states, “CA TOYs are frequently called upon to serve as ambassadors of the CDE and for the teaching profession. By sharing their experiences and successes, these outstanding teachers can help elevate public opinion of the teaching profession and, perhaps, inspire more people to become Teachers.”
A ceremony recognizing the five State Teachers of the Year is scheduled to take place in Sacramento in early 2027.