The William S. Hart Union School District reports Hart High School science teacher Paula Bae has been named one of nine finalists in the 2023 California Teacher of the Year competition by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

This is the second time in three years that a Hart District teacher has received high distinction at the state level in the California Teacher of the Year Program.

Bae has been a teacher at Hart High School for over 30 years. She was selected in the spring as the Hart High School Teacher of the Year by her peers, the second time in her career to be chosen. She was recently recognized by the Hart Governing Board as the District Teacher of the Year and on Sept. 23, she was honored as one of 16 Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year.

County nominees undergo a rigorous selection process at the state level. Applications are reviewed to identify those that best address characteristics of excellent teaching. Those identified receive an on-site classroom visit from the Teacher of the Year Program. Selected candidates advance to the final phase and are interviewed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

“Paula makes learning fun, but doesn’t shy away from the difficult content that comes with the curriculum of human anatomy and advanced placement biology, and her students are the lucky recipients,” said Hart High School Principal Jason d’Autremont. “We are proud to say that Paula is one of the most tenured teachers at Hart and this recognition is long overdue.”

“We are so fortunate to have Paula Bae as a member of the Hart District family. She is an outstanding teacher and a true role model for the students in our Valley,” said Hart District Superintendent Mike Kuhlman.

On Oct. 13 Thurmond named Alondra Diaz the 2022 California Teachers of the Year.

Diaz will represent the state in the National Teacher of the Year competition in the spring. Diaz is a third-grade teacher at Ralph A. Gates Elementary School, a dual immersion school in the Saddleback Valley Unified District.