Teacher of the Year
2023 - Lorrie Brown, classroom Teacher
Teaching the District’s youngest students takes passion, skill and lots and lots of energy. Teaching the District’s youngest students for 25 years takes a person with almost superhero capabilities. Tonight’s Teacher of the Year recipient has not only taught Kindergarten, Transitional Kindergarten and TK/K combo classes for her career, she has lead the District’s teachers in doing so with innovation, creativity and an ability to keep ahead of the ever changing needs of young students as they enter our schools.
For years, this teacher has done more than just create a welcoming educational setting that ensures students have the foundations of reading, writing and the CA State Standards. She has done more than take students who often have lacked any formal school setting and taught them to be students; to share, care for others and be a productive member of a learning community. She has done more than advocate for her student’s needs and integrate technology and other creative learning tools into each and every day. As you know, a Teacher of Year has to do more than just have an incredible classroom, they have to have a profound impact on their colleagues, the District or our community… they must go “above and beyond.”
The 2022-23 Teacher of the Year does this by being a District instructional leader, an innovator, a mentor. She has served on just about every committee, every adoption, every group representing our TK/K classrooms and staff districtwide. In times when there was a lack of established curriculum and materials for our youngest learners, she has led her colleagues in developing it and implementing it. She has read, research, experimented and continued to refine her practice, not only to ensure her classroom was exceptional, but to share so other classrooms can be the same.
Her colleagues, both at her school and districtwide, all sing her praises and state how instrumental she has been to the TK/K program at all our sites. I had the opportunity to work with this teacher for 6 years when I was principal at Oakmont. I got to see firsthand all that I have shared tonight and all the reasons the committee chose this teacher. She is passionate and we had many a conversation in my office, her classroom or around the school where she insisted on the best for her students and all students in our youngest classrooms. She worked hard and late, weekends and breaks and shared her developed resources with all. I also had the privilege of having my sons in her classroom and they still talk every now and then about being, “froggies.”
Claremont’s 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year began their teaching career with Claremont Unified School District 25 years ago as a classroom teacher and is currently at Oakmont Elementary School.
It is with great pleasure I present to you, the Board of Education, Dr. Wilson and the staff and the community, the 2022-2023 Claremont Unified School District’s Teacher of the Year – Lorrie Brown.
Former Teachers of the Year
2022 - Lisa Schuster Sycamore Elementary School
2021 - Patti Frazer, Condit Elementary School
2020 - Robyn Echeverri, El Roble Intermediate School
2019 - Kara Evans, Teacher on Special Assignment
2018 - Patricia Colinco, Sumner Dabury Elementary School
2017 - Dave Chamberlain, Claremont High School
2016 - Sandra Nesbit, Condit Elementary School
2015 - Deborah Plumley, Sumner Elementary
2014 - Terri Kegans, El Roble Intermediate School
2013 - Karen Corrette, Chaparral Elementary School
2012 - Krista Elhai, Claremont High School
2011 - Carolyn Spanier, Claremont High School
2010 - Leanna Prokop, Chaparral Elementary School
2009 - Ken Kirkwood, El Roble Intermediate School
2008 - Imetra Joiner, Oakmont Elementary School
2007 - Jenny McGourty-Riggs, El Roble Intermediate School
2006 - Stephanie Salamon, Claremont High School
2005 - Olivia Simpson, Oakmont Elementary School
2004 - Gail Mori, Claremont High School
2003 - Sally Grogg, Sumner Elementary School
2002 - Judi McKee, Vista del Valle Elementary School
2001 - Virginia Ellsworth, Sumner Elementary School
2000 - Jeanne Culbertson, Chaparral Elementary School
1999 - John Sedia, Danbury School
1998 - Jack Harper, Claremont High School
1997 - Joan Felsch,El Roble Intermediate School
1996 - LaRie Carter, Claremont High School
1995 - Heather Moore, Condit Elementary School
1994 - Rosemary Adam, Claremont High School
1993 - Frances Gilfry, Danbury School
1992 - Charlotte Brockway, El Roble Intermediate School
1991 - Gary Iida, Claremont High School
1990 - Dorothy Shamah, Claremont High School
1989 - Bob Walker, Claremont High School
1988 - Debbie McCurdy, Oakmont Elementary School
1987 - Esper Keiser, Claremont High School
1986 - Doreen Stalwick, Vista del Valle Elementary School
1985 - Dawn Ridder, Oakmont Elementary School
1984 - James Hill, Claremont High School
1983 - Lillian Page, Sycamore Elementary School
