George Kelly Elementary School Teacher Named San Joaquin County Teacher of the Year

The San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) is excited to announce that Sarah Cook has been named the 2026 San Joaquin County Teacher of the Year.  

As San Joaquin County Teacher of the Year, Cook received $1,000 from Self-Help Federal Credit Union. Cook’s nomination will now be submitted to the state for consideration as California Teacher of the Year.

Cook is an outstanding teacher with 34 years of experience who teaches second grade at George Kelly Elementary School (Tracy Unified School District). She knows her students well and uses both that knowledge and data from assessments to plan targeted lessons for individuals. She engages her students with games, songs, and excitement for teaching and learning. Outside the classroom, she volunteers on the school’s early literacy, anti-bullying, and curriculum-adoption committees. An advocate for early literacy, she is a champion for research-based reading instruction.

“She continually seeks opportunities to learn and collaborate, modeling lifelong learning for her students and peers,” George Kelly Elementary Principal Brittani Ryan said in Cook’s nomination. “Mrs. Cook’s commitment to excellence, her passion for literacy, and her unwavering dedication to students make her an exceptional educator.”

The announcement was the culminating moment at the 2026 San Joaquin County Excellence in Education Celebration Dinner, held at the SJCOE on Thursday, April 9. The annual awards honor the best of the best in the education profession and celebrate all the talented, caring, and committed educators and school personnel who make a difference in the lives of their students and the community. 

Pictures of the honorees can be downloaded here.

Video features can be viewed on YouTube.
 

The SJCOE announced the county Classified School Employees of the Year and School Counselor of the Year winners earlier this year. Each winner receives $500 from Self-Help Federal Credit Union. Teacher of the Year finalists also receive $500 from Self-Help Federal Credit Union.
 

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY SCHOOL COUNSELOR OF THE YEAR

Frank Martinez
Grade-level: TK-8
Years of experience: 10
School: Weston Elementary School
District: Ripon Unified School District

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY TEACHER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
 

David Bo
Grade-level: 4
Years of experience: 29
School: El Dorado Elementary School
Organization: Stockton Unified School District

Chris Brown
Grade-level: 9-12
Years of experience: 13
School: Ripon High School
District: Ripon Unified School District

*Sarah Cook
Grade-level: 2
Years of experience: 34
School: George Kelly Elementary School
District: Tracy Unified School District

Gene Hart
Grade-level: 9-12
Years of experience: 28
School: Lincoln High School
District: Lincoln Unified School District

Lan Phan
Grade-level: 9-12
Years of experience: 11
School: Ronald E. McNair High School
District: Lodi Unified School District

*2026 San Joaquin County Teacher of the Year

 SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR
 

CLERICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

Mayra Bravo
Job title: Administrative Secretary
Years of experience: 9
School: Dent Elementary School
District: Escalon Unified School District

FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES

Stephanie Williams
Job title: Food Service Worker
Years of experience: 31
School: Colony Oak Elementary School
District: Ripon Unified School District

CUSTODIAL AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES

Maria Sousa
Job title: Custodian-Gardener
Years of experience: 8
School: New Hope Elementary School
District: New Hope Elementary School District 

PARAPROFESSIONAL

Lisa Gori
Job title: Paraprofessional
Years of experience: 9
School: Banta Elementary School
District: Banta Unified School District 

TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

Oralia Montanez
Job title: Lead Bus Driver
Years of experience: 25
District: Linden Unified School District

 SECURITY SERVICES

Russell Speed
Job title:  Campus Connection Technician
Years of experience: 9
School: one.Lodi
Organization: San Joaquin County Office of Education
 
 
 
 

About the San Joaquin County Office of Education:

The San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) provides educational leadership, resources, and services to support schools throughout the county. With its highly regarded programs, innovative staff, and community partnerships, the SJCOE ensures that every student in San Joaquin County has the opportunity of a quality education. For more information, visit www.sjcoe.org.
 

About Self-Help Federal Credit Union:

Self-Help Federal Credit Union was chartered in 2008 to build a network of branches that partner with working families and communities that have historically faced systemic barriers to financial inclusion. With over $2.1 billion in assets and serving more than 103,000 members in 38 branches - 22 in California, nine in Illinois, five in Washington, and two in Wisconsin, Self-Help Federal is one of the fastest-growing community development-designated financial institutions in the country. It is part of the Self-Help family of nonprofit organizations whose collective mission is to create and protect ownership and economic opportunity for all. For more than 42 years, the national Center for Community Self-Help and its affiliates have provided over $10.5 billion in financing to help thousands of borrowers buy homes, start businesses, and strengthen community resources. For more information, go to www.self-helpfcu.org and www.self-help.org.
 
In addition to providing high-quality financial products and services, it is part of Self-Help FCU’s mission to engage with communities through volunteer work, technical assistance, and other forms of community development support. This includes continued sponsorship of the annual Classified Employees and Teacher of the Year Awards Celebration Dinner. In 2022, Self-Help FCU merged with Premier Community Credit Union, a founding sponsor of this event celebrating education in San Joaquin County.