CUSD Honors Outstanding Educators at Teacher of the Year Celebration
Media Release
Compton Unified School District held its 2025 Teacher of the Year Celebration recently at a special ceremony, recognizing each school’s Teacher of the Year and naming Jefferson Elementary’s Jerry Sambrana-Potter as the districtwide Teacher of the Year.
Board of Trustees Vice President Michael Hooper and Board Members Alma Taylor Pleasant, Sandra Moss, Satra Zurita, and Denzell Perry joined Superintendent Dr. Darin Brawley in honoring the exceptional educators who continue to make a lasting impact on student achievement across the district.
2025 CUSD Teacher of the Year Jefferson Elementary’s Jerry Sambrana-Potter (4th from right) with (Left to Right) Board VP Michael Hooper, Board Members Alma Taylor-Pleasant, Sandra Moss, Denzell Perry, Superintendent Dr. Darin Brawley, Jefferson Principal Dominguez, and Board Member Satra Zurita.
2025 Teachers of the Year
Elementary Schools:
Humberto Ceja (Anderson Elementary), La Tonya Curlin (Bunche Elementary), Juliete Tayco (Bursch Elementary), Sheng Vang (Carver Elementary), Lisa Lopez (Clinton Elementary), Alberto Quintero (Dickison Elementary), Shawnta Stewart (Emerson Elementary), Christine Maribao (Foster Elementary), Robert Anderson (Kelly Elementary), Tracy Lorio (Kennedy Elementary), Tiana Tullous (King Elementary), Marlene Veliz (Laurel Street Elementary), Claudia Aceves-Rocha (Longfellow Elementary), Sharonda Sawyer (Mayo Elementary), Cheryl Chew (McKinley Elementary), Kathleen Allen (McNair Elementary), Stacy Feary (Roosevelt Elementary), Maritza Ramirez (Rosecrans Elementary), Matilde Villalba (Tibby Elementary), and Traci Thigpen-Weatherspoon (Washington Elementary).
The Elementary School Teachers of the Year.
Middle Schools:
James Schmidt (Bunche Middle School), Nenita Penuela (Davis Middle School), Ryan Mendoza (Enterprise Middle School), and Jelly Gorgonio (Whaley Middle School).
High Schools:
Hawk Te (Centennial High School), Alex Adams (Chavez High School), Cherie McDaniel (Compton High School), Vasana Manivanh (Compton Early College High School), Chung Kim (Dominguez High School), and Dawn Fitzgerald (Marshall High School).
The Middle and High School Teachers of the Year.
The district extended its appreciation to all honorees for their dedication to students, families, and the broader Compton community.
Jerry Sambrana-Potter, a fifth-grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary, was selected as the overall Teacher of the Year for Compton Unified. With more than 20 years of service at Jefferson and additional years across the district, she is recognized for maintaining high expectations for her 34 students and using data-driven instruction to support their academic growth.
Beyond the classroom, Sambrana-Potter creates enriching opportunities for her students by organizing field trips to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California and leading participation in Academic Pentathlon competitions. Her commitment extends beyond the school day, dedicating time after school and on weekends to ensure her students have access to experiences that broaden their horizons and support their success.
The Teacher of the Year Celebration underscores Compton Unified’s ongoing commitment to recognizing excellence in education and celebrating the educators who inspire the district’s scholars every day.