Of almost 300 applicants, one Eagle County teacher advances to semifinals for Colorado Teacher of the Year
Devin_DuPree
Eagle Valley High School’s very own Devin Dupree made it past the first round for the 2027 Colorado Department of Education Teacher of the Year.
Out of almost 300 applicants and 106 school districts, 21 semifinalists were selected. This marks the second consecutive year that Eagle County School District has made it to this next round.
Dupree, a science teacher at Eagle Valley High School, has been an educator for 27 years. During his time at the high school, Dupree has been a recipient of the 2021 Each Valley High School Teacher of the Year award and a winner of the Educators Foundation at Eagle County’s Apple award in the same year.
He has also been playing a role in the development of a new four-year STEM and CTE curricula at the school through a national nonprofit program called Project Lead the Way.
“Devin is the epitome of what a high school science teacher should be,” the superintendent of Eagle County School District, Phil Qualman, said in a recent statement. “He has piqued the interest in young minds for many years and I couldn’t be happier to see him named as a state semifinalist for Teacher of the Year.”
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For Dupree, the fight for the crown is not over yet.
The 21 semifinalists will take their next steps in the decision process, going through another round of questions, and an interviewing process with members of the Teacher of the Year Selection Committee. From these educators, another cohort of finalists will be selected for a third consideration round in September.
“We are fortunate to have such talented and dedicated educators serving students across Colorado,” said Susana Cordova, the Colorado Department of Education commissioner of education, in a recent statement.
“These semifinalists reflect the passion, creativity, and commitment that define our profession, and we are excited to celebrate the impact they are making in schools and communities throughout the state,” she added.
The Colorado Department of Education will announce its 2027 Teacher of the Year in October. The recipient will be the state’s nominee for the Council of Chief State School Officers’ National Teacher of the Year Program and will represent Colorado’s educators at the state and national levels.
The winner will also be awarded $10,000, courtesy of Colorado nonprofit the Boettcher Foundation and the Colorado Department of Education.
