Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) is delighted to announce that Katherine Werner, a special education teacher at Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School, has been named AUSD’s 2026 Teacher of the Year.
Werner, who came to AUSD in 2020, co-teaches English, Academic Strategies, and film classes at Encinal. She also serves as the Special Education Department Chair at the school and has developed college and career awareness activities for students in grades 9-12, as well as designed and facilitated professional development for her colleagues.
“It’s truly an honor to represent AUSD as the Teacher of the Year,” Werner says, “especially for all of the special education staff who work tirelessly to support our students. 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!”
Werner received both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Special Education at Penn State University, and a preliminary credential in Educational Leadership from Cal State East Bay. She has been a teacher for 20 years, with six of those years at AUSD.
“Teacher of the Year should recognize someone who transforms learning, uplifts colleagues, and prepares students to engage thoughtfully with the world beyond graduation,” a colleague wrote. “Kate Werner does this every single day.”
Nominations for AUSD Teacher of the Year come from parents, students, staff, and the community. Teachers are notified of their nomination and qualified candidates are invited to submit application materials.
A selection committee composed of teachers, administrators, the Alameda Education Association President, an AUSD Board member representative, and a PTA Council representative reviews redacted applications, selects several semi-finalists to observe in the classroom, interviews them, and 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 Pasquale 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.”
Board of Education President Ryan LaLonde added, “The Board would like to congratulate Ms. Werner and all the nominees for the 2026 Teacher of the Year. We are so grateful for her hard work, commitment, 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.”
Susan Davis is the Senior Manager of Community Affairs for the Alameda Unified School District. Reach her at [email protected].
