Although it was pajama day at Mecca Elementary School on Thursday, May 22, nobody could sleep through the drum line, cheerleaders, and flag team, who performed in celebration of teacher Marisa Gaytan, who was surprised with the news that she had been selected as a 2026 Riverside County Teacher of the Year.
More than 100 students, along with her family and colleagues, filled the multi-purpose room of the same Coachella Valley Unified School District campus where Marisa attended as a child, and where she is completing her 9th year as a 4th grade dual-language teacher.
“I’m very proud of this school. It’s my home. It is where beautiful things happen and I always tell my students, if I can do it, you can do it as well because I was just like you,” Marisa Gaytan said to more than one hundred students gathered in the multi-purpose room for the surprise announcement. “I truly believe that it's important for everyone to feel welcome and belong. We are a family and each of our successes are all of our successes.
Earlier in May, San Jacinto Unified School District preschool teacher, Anthony Segura, and Temecula Valley Unified School District high school science teacher, Ziba Mayar, were named as the first 2026 Riverside County Teachers of the Year. One more 2026 Riverside County Teacher of the Year will be revealed in an upcoming surprise visit. Once named, all four teachers of the year will represent Riverside County later this year in the 2026 California Teacher of the Year competition.
About Marisa Gaytan
Marisa Gaytan’s dual-language classroom promotes bilingualism through instruction in both English and Spanish on a daily basis. When faced with students in her classroom who share their anxiety about speaking or learning English the same way they can in Spanish, Marisa has learned to smile and respond by saying: “You may not be able to do it yet, but give me a chance to teach you and then we’ll see.”
Marisa’s instructional strategies include incorporating class chants, music, kinesthetic learning, cultural references, and extolling the virtues of bilingualism for the current and future success of her students. She empowers parents and families with strategies to advance dual-language development at home with their children, and invites Read With Me volunteer readers from the community to support students in a mentor-mentee relationship in the classroom.
Marisa is a proud product of Mecca Elementary School, where she started as a preschool student. She describes her mission as “guiding students to find their worth and voice” and her classroom as “a place where all students are brave risk-takers.”
She helped start the Keep It Clean (KIC) club on campus and partnered with a Kindergarten teacher to launch a Book Buddies program to develop mentorship, goal-oriented learning, and reading skills in students from both classes. She launched Wisdom Wednesdays as an opportunity for teachers to come together and share resources, perspectives, and support for one another.
Marisa earned her bachelor’s degree, bilingual authorization teaching credential, and master’s degree, from the University of California, Davis. She is a resident of Indio.
Recent Riverside County teachers selected as California Teachers of the Year include:
· 2025 – Robert (Bob) Mauger, Corona High School, Corona-Norco USD
· 2022 – Nichi Aviña, Cielo Vista Charter School, Palm Springs USD
· 2021 – Keisa Brown, University Heights Middle School, Riverside USD, and Allison Cyr, Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
· 2020 – Brenda Chavez-Barreras, Good Hope Elementary School, Perris ESD
· 2019 – Dr. Angel Mejico, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
· 2018 – Dr. Brian McDaniel, Painted Hills Middle School, Palm Springs USD
· 2017 – Shaun Bunn, Ethan A. Chase Middle School, Romoland School District
· 2016 – Michelle Cherland, Carrillo Ranch Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
· 2014 – Jessica Pack, James Workman Middle School, Palm Springs USD
The Riverside County Teachers of the Year are selected from nearly 20,000 educators in the county. The rigorous application process requires candidates to spend time reflecting on, and carefully defining, their teaching philosophy. The county teachers of the year are selected on the basis of nominations by teachers, principals, and school district administrators throughout the county. Applications are then submitted to the Riverside County Office of Education, where a selection committee reviews the applications of each district candidate and selects semi-finalists. The selection committee then conducts interviews and site visits to select the final four candidates before the county superintendent announces the Riverside County Teachers of the Year.