Alameda – October 3, 2025 – Michael Wong, a 4th and 5th grade teacher at Paden Elementary
School, in the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD), was selected last week as the Alameda
County Teacher of the Year at the 36th Annual Alameda County Teacher of the Year Awards
Ceremony in Hayward.

Mr. Wong, who was named AUSD’s 2025 Teacher of the Year this past April, received both his
Bachelor’s degree in Social Psychology and a Business Certification from UC San Diego. He earned his
teaching credential from California State University East Bay and has taught at Paden since 2011.

 

“It’s such an honor to be named an Alameda County Teacher of the Year,” Mr. Wong said in his
remarks at last Thursday’s ceremony. “ As someone who grew up right here in the East Bay — and
who once dropped out of high school before finding my way back through community college, the UC
system and eventually teaching — it’s surreal to be standing here today as a teacher of the year. My
path was shaped by struggle, by educators who saw possibility, and by a community that believed I
could contribute.

“In my classroom now,” he continued, “I work to return that gift: creating spaces where every student
feels agency, belonging, and competence — whether through student-led governments, playful
learning, or projects that connect school to the real world. At the heart of it all is a simple belief: every
child deserves to feel that school is for them.”

 

John Thayer, a high school teacher in Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, was also named a county Teacher of the Year.

Empowering Students to Grow
Colleagues who submitted recommendation letters described Mr. Wong as a thoughtful, creative
teacher who nurtures not only individual student growth but also school culture and leadership.

“Within his classroom, Mr. Wong creates a structured, nurturing environment that meets the diverse needs
of his students,” Paden Principal Tri Nguyen wrote in Mr. Wong's nomination packet for AUSD Teacher of the Year. "He skillfully addresses behavioral challenges with both tact and compassion, balancing high expectations with

strong relationship-building. His classroom is a place where students feel empowered to grow.”

Over the years, Mr. Wong also has established community-building traditions at Paden, such as the month-
long Fifth Grade Olympics (designed to help students develop teamwork and leadership skills); “W$” (or
 “Wong Bucks,” in which students create their own businesses and then buy and sell items during a Friday
Marketplace); and class elections for student “officials” who help govern the classroom. Mr. Wong also coordinates

an after-school intervention program called “Paden Promise

“This award is an incredible validation of Mr. Wong’s skill, dedication, and day-to-day instructional practice,”
says Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi. “Great teachers like Mr. Wong blend the art of inspiring and
engaging kids with the science of helping them learn. I am thrilled that our district gets to benefit from Mr.
Wong’s commitment and craft.”

“Meaningful Collaboration”
A natural leader, Mr. Wong currently serves as a district-wide Math Teacher Leader, serves on the Paden

Play team, and facilitates the school’s Professional Learning Community. “Under his guidance, the PLC has
become a space for meaningful collaboration, where educators share best practices, engage in reflective discussions, and grow together as professionals,” one colleague wrote in the nomination packet.

 

Mr. Wong was selected from the eighteen  Alameda County school district Teachers of the Year, each of whom submitted extensive applications for panel review. The winners were announced at an event at the Hayward Unified’s Performing Arts Center that was attended by about 250 people. He is now eligible to compete for the California Teacher of the Year position.

“This award isn’t just about me,” Mr. Wong said at last week’s ceremony. “It’s about my students, my colleagues, my family, and this community that raised me. I’m proud to represent Alameda, and I’m grateful for the chance to keep paying forward the possibilities education unlocked for me.”

Mr. Wong is the fourth AUSD teacher to be named a County Teacher of the Year in the last eight years.
Kevin Gorham received the award in 2017; Pauline Stahl received the award in 2019; and Jessica Kerber won
in 2023.

“The fact that AUSD has had a series of teachers be named as County Teachers of the Year is testament to  the very fine instructional practices we are cultivating here in this district,” says Gary Lym, president of AUSD’s Board of Education. “On behalf of the Board, I congratulate Mr. Wong for this achievement and thank him for his service to the rest of the district."