The Los Angeles County Office of Education on Friday, Sept. 20, honored the 2024 L.A. County Teachers of the Year—educators who were chosen for the meaningful impact they have had on their students, their innovative approaches in the classroom and their extraordinary commitment.
School districts in the county nominated 69 top-notch educators and 16 were announced as the 2024 L.A. County Teachers of the Year. According to the L.A. County Office of Education (LACOE), “This is the moment they’ve been waiting for—the recognition of their dedication, creativity, and the difference they make every day in their classrooms.”
The 16 honorees were presented with a video that shows their often unique teaching styles “and the exceptional achievements that set them apart,” LACOE said in a prepared statement.
Arby Jean Wolkov, a teacher at William Howard Taft Charter High School in Woodland Hills, is the LAUSD Teacher of the Year and teaches American Sign Language. She was honored Friday Sept. 20 as one of 16 teachers named 2024-25 Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year. (Courtesy of the LA County Office of Education)
According to LACOE, it was more than an awards ceremony—it was the culmination of a journey for 16 extraordinary teachers who received “the highest honor in the county. Their passion for teaching and their commitment to their students will be front and center as they step into the spotlight.”
The 16 teachers are Nadine Page Phillips, Alhambra Unified School District; Courtney Franz, Arcadia Unified School District; Jesse Braun, Beverly Hills Unified School District; Theresa Vargas, Burbank Unified School District; Justin Smith, Centinela Valley Union High School District; Lisa Hatfield, Las Virgenes Unified School District; Erica Rood Lundy, Nicholas Westfall, and Arby Jean Wolkov, LAUSD; Matthew Winheim, Palmdale School District; Paula Stella Martinez, Rowland Unified School District; Flor de Maria Garcia, South Whittier School District; Nicolle Fazis, Torrance Unified School District; Lisa Walker, Westside Union School District; Nicole Jolicoeur, William S. Hart Union High School District; Aiko Anglim, Wiseburn Unified School District.