NMSTOY Mission Statement

History and Purpose

Our Story

Since 1958, the State of New Mexico has recognized outstanding educators through the State Teacher of the Year (STOY) program, thanks to the support from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the New Mexico Public Education Department, and various sponsors. This program highlights exceptional teacher leaders who significantly contribute to the quality of education in their schools, communities, and the broader state of New Mexico. From 1980, the New Mexico STOYs have had opportunities to collaborate with the National State Teachers of the Year (NSTOY), fostering the establishment of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY).

Our Vision

The vision for the New Mexico NNSTOY affiliate is to establish an independent, influential entity that drives educational policy and enhances educational services for teachers, students, and communities in New Mexico. By maintaining independence from existing educational institutions, this organization aims to be a credible source of research, thought, and information dissemination. Its membership, comprised of STOYs and state finalists, brings valuable classroom experience that provides unique insights into educational policy-making, advocating for realistic and informed perspectives in decision-making processes.

Our Values

Our foundational values include integrity, leadership, and community engagement. The New Mexico NNSTOY chapter, reinvigorated and aiming for sustainability, is currently seeking incorporation as a non-profit organization and 501(c)3 status. Our goals emphasize elevating the professional educator's role, collaborating with the NM Public Education Department in selecting STOYs annually, and advocating for the retention of high-quality educators. We aim to influence educational practices through policy, advocacy, and the empowerment of educators to become independent leaders. Additionally, we strive to bridge the physical and social divides across the state's rural and urban sectors to foster inclusivity and professionalism among educators. By developing and completing community projects focused on students and education, we are committed to enhancing the educational experiences for all students in New Mexico.

Our Current New Mexico Teacher of the Year

Roy Biñas Bass 2024 NMTOY

Roy Biñas Basa has been recognized with several prestigious awards for his dedication to teaching. These include the 2024 New Mexico Teacher of the Year, the 2023 New Mexico Academy of Science Outstanding Science Teacher, the 2024 Metrobank Foundation Awards for Continuing Excellence and Service (ACES), and the 2023 and 2024 SHELL Urban Science Educator Development Award by the National Science Teaching Association. Originally from the Philippines, Dr. Basa now resides in Zuni, New Mexico, where he shares his passion as a Science and CTE Instructor at Twin Buttes Cyber Academy, Zuni Public School District.

Help Us Achieve our Goals!

• The initial goals for the New Mexico affiliate of NNSTOY are as follows…
• Elevate and promote the role of a professional educator in the state of New Mexico.
• Work with the NM Public Education Department in the annual selection of STOYs.
• Promote and advocate for the retention of educators of the highest quality.
• Positively influence education practice through policy, practice, and advocacy of the members.
• Empower state educators to be independent teacher leaders in their schools and communities.
• Remove the physical and social barriers separating the state in rural and urban areas and the state’s huge distances-- with regard to professionalism and inclusion of classroom professionals.
• Create a list of available presenters for events throughout the state.
• Develop and complete positive community projects related to students and education.
• New Mexico State Teachers of the Year are dedicated to providing the best educational experience possible for all students and elevating the teaching profession within the state.

Donate Here!

Tara Hughes

2023 NMTOY

Tara Hughes teaches a four-year-old inclusion preschool classroom at the Nye Early Childhood Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Before teaching, Hughes was a carpenter and welder. While managing the Santa Fe Opera stage crew, she taught college-age students stage operations and construction, prompting her passion for teaching.

Hughes taught in a private preschool in Santa Fe for two years, then moved to New York and Massachusetts, where she worked as an educational assistant (EA). Her experiences as an EA inspired her to earn a Master of Education in special education from New Mexico Highlands University. There, she student taught in an autism-specific prekindergarten classroom, igniting her drive to provide all students access to peers. Hughes staring working for Santa Fe Public Schools nine years ago as a highly structured special education teacher. She advocated for access to more peers in her classroom and championed the New Mexico FOCUS high-quality standards for inclusive practices.

Her greatest contributions and accomplishments in education are facilitating professional learning communities, supporting and coaching colleagues on positive behavior supports, evidence-based strategies and social-emotional curriculums. In 2020, she was featured in an Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center documentary series by the University of South Carolina on how the fields of early education and early childhood special education could successfully support preschoolers and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic through the use of technology. Her pedagogical precedence is to promote universal prekindergarten with a focus on ensuring equal access, including early intervention, social-emotional learning and inclusion for all young learners.

Lorynn Guerrero

2022 NMTOY

Lorynn Guerrero is currently an assistant principal at Gadsden High School in Anthony, New Mexico. She is a New Mexico Teach Plus Policy Fellow for the 2022-2023 year. She previously taught teen parents in a GRADS (graduation, reality, and dual-role skills) program that supported teen parents and their babies to get their high school diplomas.

Ms. Guerrero graduated from Eastern New Mexico University, in May 2022 with a Master of Education with an emphasis in education administration. She attended New Mexico State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary education with an emphasis in English Language Arts in 2005. She has Advanced Placement certification in literature and composition from New Mexico Highland University and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages certification from Eastern New Mexico University. In 2017, she was nominated for Tú Revista Latina magazine’s Educators for Excellence award. Her first nomination for Teacher of the Year came in 2008 when she was teaching at Hatch Middle School.

Alisa Cooper de Uribe

2021 NMTOY

Alisa Cooper de Uribe is a bilingual first grade teacher at NM International School in Albuquerque. Her school leadership roles include the Mentorship Team, World Poetry Day Coordinator, and GSA Co-Sponsor. Alisa enjoys multiple Teach Plus Fellowships, and is a member of the Hispanic Education Advisory Council and the Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest Board. Alisa completed her BA in English from Abilene Christian University, an MA in Spanish from Middlebury College, and the Alternative Licensure Program at ENMU. Her devotion to education sits alongside her love for family, wiener dogs, summer road trips, ice skating, and her bearded dragon.

Email: alisa.nmtoy@gmail.com

Mandi Torrez

2020 NMTOY

Jessica Sanders

2019 NMTOY

Ivonne Orozco

2018 NMTOY

Ivonne Orozco Sahi is the 2018 New Mexico Teacher of the Year. Ivonne was born and raised in Chihuahua, Mexico until she was 12 years old when her family immigrated to the United States. Ivonne attended the University of New Mexico where she earned her BA and MA in Secondary Education. She now teaches high school Spanish in Albuquerque, where she creates interactive, challenging lessons with real-world connections for all students regardless of language background. Her culturally sustaining pedagogy operates on student strengths and values the contributions of all. As a first-generation college student, immigrant, former DACA recipient, mother of three, queer, woman of color, Ivonne has found her voice in education through her intersectionalities.

Stephanie Gurule-Leyba

2017 NMTOY

Stephanie Gurulé-Leyba was raised in Las Vegas, NM, and has been in education for 28 years. After 26 years in the classroom, she retired from the Santa Fe Public Schools and joined St. Michael’s High School (Santa Fe, NM) as a Dean of Academics. Before her move to administration, Stephanie taught Science, the Biomedical Sciences and Special Education in the Santa Fe Public Schools. She is credited in helping build the Medical Science Academy at Capital High School and the Jr. Biomedical Sciences Program at Ortiz Middle School. She has also developed successful STEM summer programs for elementary and middle school. Stephanie has a B.S. ('94) in Biology and Chemistry and an M.A. ('99) in Rehabilitation Counseling from New Mexico Highlands University. She also holds educational licenses in PreK-12 Science and Special Education and PreK-12 Rehabilitation Counseling. She also received the 2022 Golden Apple Teaching Excellence Award. Stephanie is currently attending Walden University. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Education focusing on Learning, Instruction, and Innovations.

David Morales

2016 NMTOY

David Morales is entering his twentieth year as an educator. He is the ENLACE (Engaging Latino Communities for Education) teacher at Mayfield High School in Las Cruces, New Mexico, which works to increase graduation and college opportunities for all students. In addition, he has served as an Alternative Licensure Teacher Coach, Early Career Educator Mentor, Department Head, and Leadership team member within the Las Cruces Public School district.

Email: davmorales@lcps.net

Debra Minyard

2015 NMTOY

Debra grew up in Maine and has been teaching for 25 years. She received her Bachelor of Music Education in 1998 from the University of Maine at Orono. She moved to New Mexico in 2003 and received her Master's in Music Education from NMSU in 2009. She is a Nationally Board-Certified Teacher and loves all things green chile! She enjoys working with and is inspired by all educators, but she especially loves any time she can visit or work with another school’s music or AVID programs.

Email: dsm@pvs.k12.nm.us

Carolyn Torres

2014 NMTOY

Pamela Cort

2013 NMTOY

Pamela retired after 31 years in the classroom. She is currently serving on the School Board for the Las Cruces Public School District 2. She is also the current President of the New Mexico Chapter of State Teachers of the Year. Pamela earned her BA in French from Washington State, her MA in Curriculum and Instruction from New Mexico State, and her Ed.S in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University. She was named the Teacher of the Year for the state of New Mexico in 2013 and continues to advocate for education with the help of the many connections she has made through the National Network of State Teachers of the Year.

Email: mmecort@gmail.com

MaryBeth Britton

2012 NMTOY

Diana Fesmire

2011 NMTOY

Peggy Jackson

2010 NMTOY*

Blythe Turner

2009 NMTOY

Denise Cannon

2008 NMTOY

Tamra Tiong

2007 NMTOY

Ron Christopherson

2006 NMTOY

Nancy Schick

2005 NMTOY

Nancy Ackerman

2004 NMTOY

James Smith

2003 NMTOY

Susan Benjamin

2002 NMTOY

Thomas Esparza III

2001 NMTOY

Louise Shoemaker

2000 NMTOY

Stan Johnston

1999 NMTOY

Carolyn Foster

1998 NMTOY

Phyllis Wright

1997 NMTOY

Phyllis Wright describes her passion for teaching as believing in the power and joy of education and the honor of supporting every student’s journey—in always celebrating connections between students and writers, literature and life, language and empowerment, and, first among all things, equity in education.

She has a Master’s degree in English, with post-graduate work in Greece and England. As an AP Language, AP abd Multicultural Literature, and Creative Writing teacher at Las Cruces High School and Alma d’arte Charter High in Las Cruces, NM, she has been honored as the 1997 New Mexico State Teacher of the Year, a 1999 Golden Apple Fellow, and Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. As a 2002 United States—NIS—Excellence in Teaching Award recipient, she participated in a cultural exchange as a guest English teacher in Rotov-na-Donu, Russia.

Phyllis has been an active College Board consultant since 1986 and has worked with teachers all over the world, from China, Thailand, and South Korea to Jordon and the UAE. Trained as a College Board National Leader and consultant/teacher mentor, she has served as a member of AP English Test Development Committee, as well as Reader and Table Leader for AP Language exam. She is also a member of the Pre-AP National Faculty and is a Co-Mentor for the College Board’s International Teacher Community.

wrightalv@gmail.com

Martina Marquez

1996 NMTOY

Sylvia Flores

1995 NMTOY

Linda Bates

1994 NMTOY

Pat Graff

1993 NMTOY

I taught 38 years in the Albuquerque Public Schools as a substitute, middle school, and high school teacher in journalism, social studies, and language arts. I opened La Cueva High School in 19986 and advised the school newspaper there for 26 years with my students winning over 1000 awards in writing, photography, design, and art. I am a National Board Certified Teacher, mentoring over 200 NM NBCTs, and I continue to support teachers in the process. I was the National Journalism Teacher of the Year in 1995, a Milken Educator, and the Distinguished Service Award winner for NCTE in 2001. In 2006 I was the first New Mexican inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. I have a wonderful husband, two sons and their great wives, and seven grandkids.