Dear community member,
Santa Cruz County is home to nearly 2,000 exceptional teachers who make a difference every day across our TK–12 school community.
Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and the Santa Cruz COE invites you to join us in celebrating an educator who’s made an impact in your life.
If there’s a TK–12 teacher in Santa Cruz County you’d like to recognize, please take a moment to complete a short nomination form and we’ll create a personalized certificate of appreciation to share with the teacher later this month. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, May 9.
Last year, our community submitted a record 1,033 nominations — let’s keep that momentum building in 2025!
I’m also pleased to share that the Santa Cruz County Educator of the Year Awards ceremony will be held during the May 15 meeting of the Santa Cruz County Board of Education. We’ll be announcing this year’s inspiring cohort of honorees next week.
In the spirit of appreciation, I’d also like to highlight some of the local businesses offering discounts and promotions to teachers next week. The Downtown Santa Cruz Association has compiled a fantastic list of offers from its members. If you hear of any additional promotions happening in our community, please let us know by emailing communications@santacruzcoe.org or replying directly to this newsletter.
Yours in education and equity,
Dr. Faris Sabbah
County Superintendent of Schools