Private Schools

Program Information

The Private School Teachers of the Year (TOTY) program is administered by the Orange County Department of Education Educational Services division to select a nominee for the Orange County Teachers of the Year​ program. Each private school may nominate one or two teachers (depending on school size).

The program's goals are to:

• Promote exemplary teachers from Orange County private schools. 
• Encourage the participation of teachers employed by private schools in the Orange County Teachers of the Year program.
• Create access to the county recognition program and application process for those teachers who cannot participate in their local school district program.
• Identify one exemplary private school teacher to advance to the Orange County Teachers of the Year program.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the 2028 Private School TOTY program, teachers must submit an application via their private school employer and must meet the following criteria:​

• Teach pre-kindergarten through grade twelve curriculum.
• Be a fully credentialed teacher currently employed full-time at an Orange County private school for the 2026-2027 academic year, with intent to teach for the 2027-2028 academic year.
• Have completed eight years of fully credentialed teaching by March 2027.
• Not previously nominated to a Teacher of the Year program in any California county.​

Selection Process

In order to participate in the Private School TOTY program, applicants must submit an application via their private school employer. Private schools should establish their own processes for selecting exemplary teachers to submit to the Private School TOY program. One teacher will be selected as the private school nominee to advance to the Orange County Teachers of the Year program for consideration as a county finalist.

To evaluate submitted applications, the Educational Services division convenes a selection committee consisting of administrators, staff, partner organizations and teachers. Each application received is reviewed and scored based on a rubric and selected by consensus of the selection committee.

Application Submission Information

A complete 2028 Private School TOTY application for each selected nominee must be submitted by the nominating private school by 11:59 p.m., Friday, February 5, 2027, via electronic mail to twalsh@ocde.us.

Timeline of Activities

Date	Activity
December 2026	Private school head of school or designee attends optional information session via Zoom on December 17, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Private schools submit an Intent to Participate form to the Educational Services division to twalsh@ocde.us by December 21, 2026. Participating private schools will then receive an application packet.
​January 2027	Participating private schools select their school nominee.
February 2027	Private school nominee submits a complete Private School TOTY application packet via email mail to twalsh@ocde.us by February 5, 2027. The Educational Services division convenes a selection committee to select a nominee to represent private schools in the 2028 Orange County Teachers of the Year program and submits nominee for consideration as a county finalist.
November 2027	The selected private school nominee is invited to attend the Orange County Teachers of the Year recognition banquet at Disneyland Hotel on Friday, November 12, 2027​​, along with their family and school administrators.

 

Questions

Contact Trish Walsh, Director of Academic Content & Instructional Support - twalsh@ocde.us.