By Ana Gomez Salcido 
Teachers from across the region will be honored for their commitment to teaching and learning at the 26th annual Cox Presents: A Salute to Teachers. The Academy Awards-style extravaganza recognizes the county’s 26,000 public school teachers and features notable emcees and presenters, musical and dance performances, and the announcement of the five 2016-17 San Diego County Teachers of the Year who will go on to represent the region at the California Teacher of the Year program later this year.
“It’s an opportunity to represent my school,” said last year’s Teacher of the Year winner Armando Leon. “It’s very important to have this recognition among 26,000 teachers.”
Leon teaches United States History and he also coordinates AVID at Mar Vista Academy in Imperial Beach.
“The award is an honor for me, my school, and for my two daughters and wife,” Leon said. “It’s important to recognize the teachers, that we see the positive impact they have, and not always focus on the bad things.”
Leon also mentioned that as a Latino receiving the award, he can be seen as a role model for his students and families in the community.
“My parents never pushed my four brothers or four sisters into education, we didn’t have these role models,” Leon said. “For Latino people to see a Latino represented in the awards, I’m hoping that they can see how far they can also go.”
The 43 nominees for Teacher of the Year were selected by their respective school districts. Of those nominees, five will be named County Teacher of the Year. The top five teachers are selected based on student achievement, professional development and community involvement, teaching philosophy and personal style, knowledge of educational issues and trends, promotion and development of the teaching profession, accountability, and their ability to serve as ambassadors of education.
“Teachers have the power to impact a student in a positive or negative way, that’s the power of the teacher,” Leon said. “I have seen first hand the power of education in my students and, with the AVID program, I have been able to help students and later on.”
Tickets are on sale now for Cox Presents: A Salute to Teachers. The live show begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, September 10, at the Balboa Theatre. Tickets are $15.50, or $14.10 for groups of 10 or more and those who mention title sponsor San Diego County Credit Union. Tickets can be purchased online at www.sandiegotheatres.org/a-salute-to-teachers, by calling the Balboa Theatre box office at 570-1100 or at the Ticketing Service Advance Sales windows located at 1100 Third Avenue at B Street, Civic Center Plaza in downtown San Diego. The Balboa Theatre’s ticket windows are only open on performance days. For more information about the show, people can visit www.sdcoe.net/salute.