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Congratulations to CLTA Teacher of the Year 2025
Dr. Cécile Nédellec
On Monday, July 22nd, at the California World Languages Project (CWLP) and California Language Teaching Association (CLTA) Summer Seminar, the CLTA president, Alice Miano, along with the CLTA past president, Nancy Pérez, announced that Dr. Cécile Nédellec is the 2025 CLTA Teacher of the Year. Dr. Nédellec currently teaches French at Patrick Henry High School and serves as a mentor and instructor for the SDUSD induction program via UCSD Extended Studies. Additionally, Dr. Nedellec is the Southern Area International Languages Network (SAILN) coordinator. In 2024, Dr. Nédellec earned the CLTA Outstanding Award.
Dr. Nédellec’s passion for supporting and mentoring teachers led her to earn a PhD in curriculum and instruction, with her doctoral dissertation titled “Teachers’ Understanding of Differentiated Instruction in Swiss Elementary Schools.” She is a former National Board-Certified French Teacher (2009-2019) and a CWLP fellow (2009). Dr. Nédellec is deeply honored to have been selected as the 2025 CLTA Teacher of the Year. She extends her heartfelt gratitude to those who believed in her and chose her to represent the state at the Southwest Conference on Language Teaching in January. This recognition strengthens her commitment to advocating for the importance of learning other languages, supporting world language teachers, sharing her best practices, and encouraging more students to embrace foreign language classes in school. She thanks everyone for this incredible opportunity.
California Teachers of the Year
2025 Dr. Cécile Nédellec currently teaches French at Patrick Henry High School and serves as a mentor and instructor for the SDUSD induction program via UCSD Extended Studies. Additionally, Dr. Nedellec is the Southern Area International Languages Network (SAILN) coordinator.
2024 Tina Dalton is a French Teacher at Kern High School District in Bakersfield, CA. In addition Tina shares her talents and knowledge as presenter/advisor/facilitator and team member on various platforms such as: World Languages Curriculum Framework and evaluation Criteria Committee, the French Club and National French Honor Society, and for the Central California World Language Project.
2023 Susan Watson is a Japanese teacher at Long Beach Polytechnic High School since 2009. Long Beach Polytechnic’s Japanese program has the distinction of being the biggest Japanese program in the contiguous 48 states, educating over 500 students each year.
2022 Vicky Xiong-Lor is a lecturer in the department Literacy, early, bilingual, and special education in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development at CSU Fresno, also currently teaches Hmong at both Clovis and Buchanan High Schools.
2021 Ryan Bosson is a Spanish Teacher in the Del Mar Union School District and former lead member with the Monterey Bay World Language Project. He consults on unit design with an emphasis on global competence.
2020 Maggie Chen teaches full-time IB Mandarin Chinese at Granada Hills Charter TK8 Program
2019 Iman Hashem is an instructor of Arabic at CSU Long Beach, CA; Program Director for California World Language Project at Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA; STARTALK consultant, evaluator, and team-leader
2018 Nancy Pérez is a Spanish AP language and AP literature teacher, instructional lead, Club advisor, mentor, and Department Chair at El Diamante High School in Visalia California. She is also the CCWLP Site Director.
2017 Ying Jin teaches Chinese Language and Culture at Cupertino High School, Homestead High School and Fremont High School, all in the Fremont Union High School District in Sunnyvale.
2016 Liz Matchett, Spanish teacher at Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto.
2015 Don Doehla, French teacher at Vintage High School, Napa.
2014 Nicole Naditz, French teacher at Bella Vista High School, Fair Oaks.
2013 Kerstin Helbing, German teacher at Gunn High School, Palo Alto.
2012 Cynthia Leathers, Spanish teacher at Redondo Union High School, Redondo Beach.
2011 Yo Azama, Japanese teacher at North Salinas High School, Salinas.
2010 Kerstin Helbing, German teacher at Gunn High School, Palo Alto.
2009 Evelyne Charvier-Berman, French professor at El Camino College, Torrance.
2008 Gloria Payette, Spanish teacher at Freedom High School, Oakley.
2007 Jamin Lynch, German teacher at Independence High School, San Jose.
2006 Christine Lanphere, French teacher at Natomas High School, Natomas.
2005 [No SWCOLT Teacher of the Year competition was held this year.]
2004 Tanya Zaccone, Spanish Teacher at Center High School, Antelope.
Please contact exec-director@clta.net for any changes or additions to this list. Thank you!