West Sonoma County Teacher of the Year Awards

The Sebastopol Rotary Education Foundation funds the Teacher of the Year Awards.

The goal of these awards is to recognize the skills and dedication of West County teachers who engage our children and provide the kind of education experience that will be the foundation for a productive and happy life.

Starting in 2020, we changed our selection criteria.  There are now four (4) awards:

• New Teacher (5 years or less of teaching experience)

• Innovative/Collaborative Teacher(s) 

• Career Service Teacher (more than 5 years of teaching experience)

Each year the Education Foundation asks parents, teachers, administrators, students, and community members associated with every elementary and secondary school in West County to nominate teachers who have had a great career, who have shown promise in their first three years in the profession and who have championed innovations that have improved instruction or school life.

The winners are:

• New Teacher of the Year: Calli Behler, a primary grades teacher at Apple Blossom School is in her third year of teaching, and her nomination was widely supported by her co-teachers and lead administrators. “Communicating with families is something Calli does extremely well. She takes great care in keeping families connected to the classroom, even when they cannot come in person,” said her principal Erin Elliot. “Calli cares deeply for each student and works hard to push all of her students to learn more and challenge themselves and each other.”​

• Career Teacher of the Year: Allison Johnston is a transitional kindergarten teacher at Harmony School in Occidental, where she’s called “Miss Allie.” She consistently “adapts her teaching to meet the diverse needs of her students, understanding that each child learns and develops at their own pace,” according to one of her nomination submissions. “Because the children feel safe and supported, they are eager to participate, try new things, and challenge themselves.” 

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• Innovative Teacher of the Year: Sasha Prosser, a SunRidge School educator who has taught the Waldorf curriculum for 20 years, was previously recognized as the teacher of the year by SREF. She said she was “surprised and humbled” to be selected for a second time. “Sasha values teaching practical life skills such as setting up snacks with folded napkins and shared responsibility which encourages calm, focus, respect, and a strong sense of community among the students,” read a portion of one of Prosser’s nomination testimonies. In addition, the students learn how to sweep, cook, sew and make items that are later used in the classroom.

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• Innovative Teacher of the Year: Katie Nelson, who teaches multi-language development at Park Side and Brook Haven schools in Sebastopol., was selected for her innovative teaching methods. She works with students with an extraordinary range of languages and backgrounds, from Mexico, Ukraine, Nepal, Spain, Haiti, Sri Lanka and Japan. According to one of her colleagues, “Katie walks into my classroom first thing, most mornings, to collect students who are new arrivals to this country and English language learners. When my newest arrival sees her, the smile on their face says it all.”

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​Each winner of the award receives $1000 for their personal use.  In addition, all of the teachers will be recognitions on several occasions: First, they were surprised by Foundation Members who went to schools to surprise the winners with the announcement of their award.  Then, all the winners came to a Rotary Club meeting where they were introduced and praised for their dedication to the teaching profession. The teachers will ride in convertible cars following the Rotary Float.  In addition, this year all the 2026 Teachers of the Year will be recognized at the Sebastopol Community Awards at Ives Park in Sebastopol.

A special thank you to all who took the time to submit a nomination, including those of you who are involved in and support the education of our youth.

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Pictured left to right: Mayor Jill McLewis, award-winning teachers Allie Johnston, Calli Behler, Katie Nelson, Sasha Prosser, and District 5 field rep Debbie Ramirez. (Photo from Holly Hansen)

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