Colorado Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to Stephen Paulson 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year! Colorado logo CDE logo

Congratulations to Stephen Paulson, 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year!

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2026 Winner

Current Awardee

About

Meet the 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year

Photo of Stephen Paulson and students cheering

Stephen Paulson

Stephen Paulson, a social studies and AVID teacher at Greeley Central High School in Greeley-Evans School District 6, is the 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year.

As Colorado’s 2026 Teacher of the Year, Paulson will also receive:

A gift of $5,000 from the Boettcher Foundation;
Funding from CDE totaling $5,000 to support Teacher of the Year events and activities through the 2026 calendar year; and
Continuing education credit and a student scholarship from Adams State University.

About Stephen Paulson

At Greeley Central High School, Stephen Paulson’s classroom is a place where every student belongs. His AP Human Geography students, many of them multilingual and first-generation, dive into lessons that center their own stories, like writing college-level essays on their families’ migration histories. With high expectations and strong support, Paulson helps every student see themselves as capable of success.

Paulson has an education degree from the University of Northern Colorado and a master’s degree in teacher leadership and administration from Colorado State University. He has been teaching for 15 years and 11 as a high school teacher.

At Greeley Central, Paulson has led the school’s AVID program, guiding first-generation students toward college and careers. His innovative Career Mentor Project pairs sophomores with local professionals for interviews and job shadowing, helping break down barriers and connect students with real-world opportunities.

Paulson also launched the “Castle Clean Up,” a simple volunteer effort that grew into a schoolwide culture of service. Students now not only clean their historic school building but also mentor younger students, support parent events, and partner with community organizations. Earlier in his career, he helped bring Mexican American Studies to Greeley West High School, showing the power of representation in education.

Paulson’s work reflects his core belief: public education must welcome every student who walks through its doors and prepare them for a future filled with hope and opportunity.

Stephen Paulson will begin his term at Colorado Teacher of the Year in January 2026.

2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year, Janet Damon

Photo of Janet Damon getting the word that she is 2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year

Janet Damon and FamilyJanet Damon and Family

About Janet Damon

Janet Damon, a history teacher at DELTA High School in Denver Public Schools, was announced as the 2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year in a ceremony at her school on Oct. 3, 2024. Damon, a graduate of DPS, has been teaching in the district for more than 25 years, serving as a teacher, literacy interventionist, library specialist and trainer, and K-12 librarian. Damon will be Colorado’s National Teacher of the Year competition nominee.

About Colorado's Teacher of the Year Program

Honoring and Elevating Teachers

Each year, the Colorado Teacher of the Year Program honors an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled K-12 classroom teacher to represent the entire profession in the state. The selected teacher will automatically become Colorado's nominee for the National Teacher of the Year competition, a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers

The Colorado Teacher of the Year receives many professional development opportunities and, along with the country's other teachers of the year, is honored at a special ceremony at the White House and gets the opportunity to go to NASA's Space Camp. The teacher also becomes a member of the Colorado Education Commissioner's Teacher Cabinet.

Preserving and Enhancing Teacher of the Year Programs

The Colorado Council of the Network of State Teachers of the Year (NSTOY) is an organization committed to the preservation and enhancement of the Colorado Teacher of the Year Program. The Council works with the Colorado Department of Education and other corporate and organizational partners to celebrate teaching excellence through the recognition of educators who have inspired a love for learning in their students, and who have distinguished themselves in the profession.

All Colorado State Teachers of the Year, as well as each year's finalists, are invited to participate.

Learn more on the Colorado Council's website