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AUSD Board Names Katherine Werner as Teacher of the Year 

Alameda, California — April 9, 2026 — Katherine Werner, a special education teacher at Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School, has been named AUSD’s 2026 Teacher of the Year.

Ms. Werner, who came to AUSD in 2020, co-teaches English, Academic Strategies, and the Get Reel English classes. She also serves as the Special Education Department Chair at the school. There she leads a team of 9 education specialists, two school psychologists, and a speech and language pathologist, and has facilitated alignment of Academic Strategies classes, developed college and career awareness activities for students in grades 9-12, designed and facilitated professional development, and helped improve scheduling students and the transition of  6th & 9th graders to Encinal.

During the selection process, Ms. Werner was praised for her commitment to bettering school systems, her professionalism, and her connections with students. “She has great relationships and rapport with her students and their families,” one nominator said. “She always has positive things to say about students and delivers constructive criticism with loving encouragement.”

“Strong Authentic Partnerships”

Ms. Werner received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Special Education from Penn State University, and her Preliminary Credential in Educational Leadership from Cal State – EastBay.  She has been a teacher for 20 years and an AUSD teacher for six years.

In her application materials, Ms. Werner emphasized her commitment to providing rigorous learning and inclusive classrooms for all students. “My instructional philosophy centers on ensuring students feel valued, empowered, and prepared to self-advocate for themselves,” she wrote. “Building strong, authentic partnerships with students, families, and multidisciplinary teams enables me to develop individualized, strength-based plans that support academic achievement and successful postsecondary transitions.”

“It’s truly an honor to represent AUSD as the Teacher of the Year,” Ms. Werner say, “especially all of the special education staff who work tirelessly to support our students. This recognition reflects the incredible students, colleagues, and community I have the privilege to learn from every day. Teaching is a collective effort, and I’m grateful to be part of a profession that continues to inspire me. Thank you to all the parents and guardians out there, too, who are raising amazing humans and partnering with us teachers.  I’m feeling really proud to be an Encinal Jet!” 

Helping Students Thrive Post Graduation

Ms. Werner is especially proud of the work that she has done to help students prepare for their life after graduation. In 2024-25, for instance, students in her Academic Strategies classes conducted informational interviews to learn about careers of interest and practice professional communication. She coaches seniors through facilitating Senior Exit IEP meetings, where they learn to describe their own strengths, learning needs, and post-graduation goals and  also helps seniors with IEPs connect with the Department of Rehabilitation and college disability services. “I love seeing students who struggled academically thrive at the local movie theater or Safeway, eager to share their success with me,” she wrote.

"Uplifting Colleagues"

As Department Chair, Ms. Werner has led Encinal’s special education teachers in improving instruction, advocating for more curriculum choices, and using data effectively to support students. She has also helped general education teachers learn to access IEP information and create exams with accommodations.

“Teacher of the Year should recognize someone who transforms learning, uplifts colleagues, and prepares students to engage thoughtfully with the world beyond graduation,” that same colleague wrote. “Kate Werner does this every single day.”

"Elevating Instruction"

The Alameda Teacher of the Year process is modeled after the State Teacher of the Year.  Nominees for AUSD Teacher of the Year come from parents, students, staff, and the community. Teachers are notified of their nomination(s) and qualified candidates are invited to submit application materials, which includes a resume, an introduction letter, and three letters of support.

A selection committee composed of teachers, administrators, the AEA President, a Board member representative, and a PTAC representative reviews redacted applications in a blind review process and selects several semi-finalists to observe in the classroom. After the observations, the semi-finalists participate in an interview; the committee then makes a final decision on who will be AUSD’s Teacher of the Year representative at the County level.

“The Teacher of the Year process annually reminds me how blessed AUSD is with its abundance of talented teacher leaders,” says Superintendent Scuderi. “The fact that Ms. Werner is the first special education professional to be selected in 25 years is especially impactful – all teaching is hard but special education teachers work especially hard to support our most vulnerable students. I wholeheartedly congratulate Ms. Werner and look forward to learning from her over the coming year.”

Next fall, the Alameda County Office of Education will honor all the Teachers of the Year in the county, and Ms. Werner will have an opportunity to become Alameda County Teacher of the Year.

“The Board would like to congratulate Ms. Werner and all the nominees for the 2026 Teacher of the Year,” says Ryan LaLonde, president of the Board of Education. “We are so grateful for her hard work, commitment, and leadership and for all she does to support students, staff, and families. As a parent of a student on the special education journey at AUSD, I personally am so appreciative of high-caliber teachers like Ms. Werner. They don’t just benefit the students in their class; they can elevate instruction across an entire district.”

 

Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) serves about 9500 students in Alameda, California, an island community in the San Francisco Bay Area.  For more information, please visit the AUSD website, follow AUSD on Facebook @subscribe to our email communications. Questions? Contact Susan Davis, Senior Manager, Community Affairs, at sdavis@alamedaunified.org.