2016 Teachers of the Year

2016 Teachers of the Year

An elementary itinerant music teacher, a middle-school math and AVID teacher, and a high-school history teacher are San Diego Unified's 2016 Teachers of the Year.

The Board of Education celebrated Julie Szweda, Tara Jean and Jonathan Hash, as well as runners-up Allison Buell, Ebonee Weathers and Jennifer Roberts at Tuesday's Board of Education meeting, the annual Teacher of the Year ceremony. The event was held at Creative Performing Media Arts Middle School's new Performing Arts Center, 5050 Conrad Drive, San Diego, CA 92117.

Superintendent Cindy Marten joined Board of Education members, district leadership, school administrators, families and friends of teachers being recognized, and student performers from CPMA Middle School and Hoover High School.

This year's winners are Julie Szweda, who serves Balboa, Boone, Burbank, Normal Heights and Rosa Parks elementary schools; Tara Jean, from Correia Middle School; and Jonathan Hash from Lincoln High School. Runners-up are Allison Buell, a kindergarten teacher from Central Elementary School; Ebonee Weathers, sixth-grade ELA, science, history, Mann Middle School; and Jennifer Roberts ninth-grade English, Point Loma High School.

In addition to the Teacher of the Year ceremony, there was a reception before the special Board of Education meeting in which students from San Diego Unified's award-winning culinary arts programs at Garfield, Morse and San Diego high schools prepared and served appetizers and desserts. The Jazz Ensemble from CPMA provided the music.

More than 120 Teachers of the Year from individual schools were also recognized.

Sponsors helped underwrite the cost of the event and include AXA Advisors San Diego, The Standard, California Coast Credit Union, California Schools VEBA, eLiveLife.com, Mission Federal Credit Union , San Diego Education Association, San Diego Education Fun, San Diego Unified's Community Service Association and VALIC.

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