The Santa Barbara County Education Office named Alejandra Navarro, a first-grade teacher at El Camino Elementary School, the 2027 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year.
Navarro will also act as the county’s representative for all teachers and an ambassador for public education.
“To say that it is an honor is an understatement,” Navarro told the News-Press. “It is the greatest honor of my professional career.”
Goleta Union School District Superintendent Mary Kahn, El Camino Principal Lorena Chavez, and Navarro’s husband and two children celebrated alongside her in a ceremony on Thursday.
Navarro has worked at El Camino for the past seven years, teaching kindergarten and first grade throughout her tenure.
She previously taught at Kellogg Elementary School for 12 years.
When talking about making the switch, Navarro said she could be “more of a resource” at a school like El Camino, where there is a greater population of second language-learners and socio-economically disadvantaged students. A native of Carpinteria, she felt like she could relate — she was also an English language development student and on the free- and reduced-lunch list.
“Even before she imagined herself being a teacher, others recognized her gift for working with children,” SBCEO Superintendent Susan Salcido said. “As a first-grade teacher, she takes seriously the responsibility of helping children to read, write and think critically.”
The selection committee chooses the county’s Teacher of the Year based on characteristics such as instructional excellence, leadership, innovation and a deep commitment to students.
When presenting Navarro with the award, board members highlighted her involvement in establishing the dual language immersion program at El Camino.
The program, which develops bilingual and bicultural capabilities from kindergarten through sixth grade, started at El Camino in 2020, the first-of-its -kind in the district. Growing up speaking English at school and Spanish at home, Navarro said she was motivated to bring those “two worlds” together in a school setting.
“Being able to have that for my students so that they can see that…you have value in your home life and your bilingualism,” Navarro said. “It is something to really cherish and embrace.”
