The Colorado Department of Education announced its semifinalists for 2027 Colorado Teacher of the Year.  The department’s 21 semifinalists represent 21 schools from 18 Colorado school districts and one charter school.

Trinidad School District 1's, Jessie Russett, has been selected as one of the finalists. Russett is a sixth-grade English Language Arts teacher at Trinidad Middle School where she has been teaching for six years. She sponsors the school's Spanish Club, created the Hiking Club and teaches evening ELL classes for adults. She holds a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in anthropology from Ball State University.

Colorado’s 2027 Teacher of the Year represents the state’s 55,000+ educators at the state and national levels and will become Colorado’s nominee for the Council of Chief State School Officers’ National Teacher of the Year Program, be honored at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C., and receive $10,000 courtesy of the Boettcher Foundation and the Colorado Department of Education. The Colorado Teacher of the Year program is sponsored by the Boettcher Foundation and supported by partnerships with the Colorado Education Association, Adams State University, and Blue Bell Ice Cream.

The semifinalists will move on to the second part of the application process, which includes additional essay questions. The Colorado Department of Education will announce its finalists for 2027 Teacher of the Year in September and name a winner in October.

Miner Proud!!!