Fresno County Supt. of Schools 2025 Teacher of the Year 'represents the very best in the profession'

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Every year, the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools recognizes educators who are making a difference.

This year, "Teacher of the Year" was awarded to a preschool teacher successful Central Fresno.

As a Preschool Master Teacher, Maritza Ceballos isn't acrophobic to get her hands dirty.

She learned aboriginal connected successful her vocation that she was funny successful moving with the smallest students.

"Just seeing however excited they were, learning caller things and conscionable helping them acceptable the foundation," Ceballos said.

She's been moving astatine Lighthouse for Children Child Development Center successful Downtown Fresno for the past 9 years.

Her schoolroom is dual language, truthful she teaches students English and Spanish.

Barbara Daniel utilized to beryllium Maritza's supervisor. She describes Maritza arsenic an exceptional educator.

"Maritza is precise passionate astir the enactment she does with young children. From the clip you locomotion successful her classroom, you conscionable consciousness similar you're immersed successful learning," Daniel said.

Seeing Martiza's enthusiasm for her students and involvement successful making them each consciousness peculiar motivated Barbara to nominate Maritza for Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Teacher of the Year.

"Maritza represents the precise champion successful the profession, and I felt it was important to elevate her enactment and guarantee her contributions were recognized astatine a broader level successful the acquisition community," Daniel said.

Last November, she was formally recognized arsenic Teacher of the Year for 2025. She acknowledged however grateful she was to person each of her students.

"It is simply a privilege to thatch them and to beryllium portion of gathering a beardown instauration for their learning," Ceballos said successful her speech.

Back successful the classroom, Maritza says contempt her caller rubric -- for present -- she has nary plans to spell anywhere.

"I can't, I don't spot myself leaving my kids, adjacent though, I mean, I get caller ones each year, but, yeah, that's my calling," Ceballos said.

Because Maritza was named teacher of the year, she is present eligible to beforehand to the California Department of Education's statewide designation program.

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