Congratulations to MDUSD's 2026-27 Teachers of the Year and Finalists!

The Mt. Diablo Unified School District is pleased to shine a light on our two 2026-27 District Teachers of the Year: Riverview MS teacher Mary Acebu and Shore Acres Elementary teacher April Saldivar! We are also recognizing the finalists: El Dorado Middle School’s Erin Hernandez, Pleasant Hill Middle School’s Brendan Moseley, Northgate High School’s Christine Reimer, and Fair Oaks Elementary’s Julia Romero. The six teachers were selected from nearly 150 outstanding educators from Preschool through grade 12 who were nominated and offered the opportunity to submit a brief questionnaire.

The questionnaires were scored by members of the MDUSD Teacher of the Year Selection Committee and the top-scoring individuals were interviewed. The MDUSD School Board plans to recognize the District Teachers of the Year, along with finalists and nominees, at its Wednesday, Feb. 25th meeting. Acebu and Saldivar will now advance to the Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year competition, which will name four finalists in the spring and two County Teachers of the Year in September. We are taking a closer look at Acebu and Saldivar this week, and will feature the finalists in next week's Friday Letter.

Both Acebu and Saldivar said they were pleased to be able to bring more attention to their schools and the Bay Point community as a result of this honor. They are both passionate educators who build strong relationships with their students and who enjoy working collaboratively with other staff members at their schools to meet students' needs.

They represent diverse learners such as Kindergartners who are learning to read and write in both English and Spanish, and Special Education students in middle school, including some who are mainstreamed in general education classes as they prepare for high school. 
Acebu teaches 7th and 8th grade Special Day Class students at Riverview MS in Bay Point, where she builds students' skills and confidence, using technology, humor and individualized instruction. In addition, she mentors new teachers and serves as the school's Technology Integration Leader (TIL), while also pursuing a doctorate in Education.

Saldivar teaches Kindergarten at Shore Acres Elementary in Bay Point, as the English partner in the Dual Language program that also includes Spanish instruction. She provides students with a strong foundation in phonics as they learn to read and write, and focuses on Science and Social Studies in her English Language Development (ELD) instruction to build students' vocabularies. 

Mary Acebu

Acebu, 33, was born in the Philippines, where she started teaching special education in a private school before immigrating to the U.S. Her mother immigrated to the U.S. while Acebu was a child, so she was raised largely by her father. Once in the U.S., she continued teaching special education to elementary and high school students in a non-public school in Antioch, then began teaching Special Day Class (SDC) students in 7th and 8th grades at Riverview MS 10 years ago. In addition, she mentors student teachers through the Saint Mary's College Teacher Residency Program with MDUSD, as well as the CalStateTEACH program at Fresno State University. And she is the Technology Integration Leader (TIL) at her school, who helps staff learn to implement new technology on campus.

"With Special Education, it's different every day and every year," Acebu said. "Every single student has a story. I like getting to know them, seeing the potential in them, and helping them get to where they need to be. When you build relationships, you enable rigor. Once they see that a teacher cares for them as a human being, that translates to buy-in on lessons and you can reach them at a higher level." She noted that in a Title 1 (low income) school, many students have experienced trauma and things happening at home affect how they behave and perform academically. "I like seeing growth," she said. "I see my kids getting better everyday, even if it takes a long time. I know that it takes a village to raise our children and I'm happy to be a part of that. I know they feel safe in my classroom and they're loved. They are not afraid to ask questions. Sometimes they say I'm the only one who makes them happy."

Focusing on students' Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is very important, Acebu says, explaining that she celebrates "small wins" in the classroom. "When everyone is on time. When everyone is working, we celebrate," she said. The celebrations can consist of verbal praise, positive behavior prizes, treats such as hot chocolate, or taking a break. As an immigrant English learner who was separated from her mother as a child and sometimes ate rice and soy sauce for lunch and dinner, Acebu said she can relate to issues some of her students face. "I want them to know that if you're given the right tools, you're not going to go astray," she said. She is proud that she has helped some students to move into mainstream general education classes with the support of resource teachers by showing them they were capable of doing that. She teaches a Life Skills Transitions class that introduces them to career pathways and virtual college tours, while also teaching them about the importance of building characteristics such as responsibility and resilience. "I want them to realize that you can do anything if you put your heart into it," she said. "If you really want something, you can achieve it."

Acebu is one of three teachers on campus bringing the Ocean Ambassadors science program to students. She modifies the lessons to make them appropriate for her students in collaboration with the general education teachers, using Universal Design for Learning strategies. Programs like these are crucial to Bay Point students, including some who have never been to the beach or to San Francisco, in part because parents work seven days a week or don't have cars. She is grateful to her colleagues at Riverview, including Para-educator Kim Montano, with whom she has worked for 10 years, and her new Student Teacher Andre Walker. "We used to be a dynamic duo," she said, "and now we're a terrific trio."

She wants to help bring about positive changes in the lives of her students, the new teachers she mentors, and among her colleagues at Riverside. "I just want to help people," Acebu said. This drive has motivated her to purse a doctorate in Instructional Technology through the American College of Education and to enroll in the Administrative Leadership Program offered by the Contra Costa County Office of Education. Her doctoral dissertation focuses on professional development and technology in Title 1 middle schools, which she says is sometimes not comprehensive enough to inspire teachers to embrace new resources. "When teachers feel supported and empowered and given the right resources," she said, "that results in better student outcomes."

King Dunbar, one of Acebu's 8th grade students, said she is a good teacher. "If we're having trouble with understanding something, we can always count on her to help us out with it," he said. "She helps me figure things out myself. She always has a nice attitude she brings to the class and she makes everybody happy." Acebu also builds relationships with students' families, which has resulted in some students and parents coming back to campus after students leave just to visit with her. Erika Colon, whose son Tyron McAllister was Acebu's student before he entered 9th grade at Mt. Diablo HS this year, visited with Acebu on Thursday with Tyron. "What I really like about her is she really works with you and your kids and she doesn't beat around the bush," Colon said. "She pushes them to their potential. I love that about her. She doesn't let them put themselves down. She shows them what they can do. She understands them. She knows what they need. She connects with them, but she's firm with them. I don't think we could ask for a better teacher than her. She makes her classroom fun. She really brings them love and joy just to be here. We have a parent-teacher bond. She comes to our students' high school graduations. She's amazing. She's rare." Tyron agreed. "She's the best teacher ever," he said, recalling the fun he had learning math in a "battle competition" where students would complete problems in front of the class. 

Acebu's CalTEACH mentee, Malachi Tripp, who teaches 6th grade Core English Language Arts and history at Riverview, also praised Acebu. "As a mentor, she is the best leader and coach you could ever dream of," he said, adding that her emotional intelligence and ability to understand people and situations is invaluable, along with her technology expertise. "She's very detailed and organized and she can come up with something that will open your eyes and amaze you." Tripp said she encouraged him to use technology such as Canva, even though he used to run from it. And he proudly told her that an administrator recently praised his use of a digital textbook, which was thanks to her. "She's changed my whole outlook on teaching, especially with what we have to deal with on a day to day basis," he said. "It's a blessing, it's a great thing for all of us, her being Teacher of the Year and being recognized for what she has done for the past 10+ years. She has said it takes a village. She has given love to all the people before her, who helped her get here today. Riverview is big on that." Tripp said he has seen the strong relationships Acebu builds with her students and feels a strong bond with her as his mentor. As a former Riverview student who attended Concord HS, then graduated from Mt. Diablo HS in 2002, Tripp said he wants to follow in Acebu's footsteps by helping others who want to get into the teaching profession, paying it forward, just like she has.

April Saldivar

Saldivar, 47, started her career as a daycare provider before obtaining her teaching credential and becoming a teacher at Shore Acres Elementary, where she has taught for eight years. She taught 1st grade, then became the Dual Language English partner for 1st grade, then taught Kindergarten during the pandemic over Zoom. She is now the English partner in the school's Dual Language Kindergarten program, working closely with Spanish language partner teacher Raquel Garcia Esquivel. "I have always been interested in working with kids," she said.

"After working for 15 years as a daycare provider, I knew I wanted to level up and reach out to broader communities." She studied sociology and education at UC Davis in her 30s. "Those studies helped me to know the student populations I wanted to serve," she said. "I was looking for a school like Shore Acres to help students access resources, reach their potential and work collaboratively with a community like this." 

The small Bay Point campus has welcomed her with open arms. "Shore Acres has been an amazing school," Saldivar said. "My colleagues have been my greatest teachers - showing me how to teach well, differentiate, and discern what students need in the classroom. Being in the Dual Language program as the English side allows me access to the culture and the special place that Shore Acres is. The community is a very close-knit, tight, supportive, loving community and being a teacher here is a privilege."

In the Dual Language Program, Saldivar teaches 26 students in English for part of the day, then switches students with Garcia Esquival, and teaches 27 students for another portion of the day. This means both teachers are educating 53 students together, but in separate classrooms and in different languages. "And we have to assess each of them, so it’s a big load," Saldivar said. "We have to be very efficient, but at the same time, make sure they get everything they need." To help build their vocabulary in English, she uses the social studies and science curriculum during English Language Development (ELD). And Garcia Esquival teaches Spanish Language Development (SLD), to build students' vocabulary in Spanish. 

Saldivar has been working to strengthen the Dual Language program and improve literacy scores by implementing "science of reading" practices such as emphasizing phonics in her classroom over the past three years. "I have seen profound changes in achievement," she said, noting that she helped pilot these materials in the District. "I immediately saw the great effects that science of reading-based practices had on teaching literacy. It is very strong in phonemic awareness, syllable work, and sounds - all to get the kids to build the parts of their brain that can take apart sounds and put them together, give them meaning, blend, and segment - to build those structures in their brain so they can read, so it’s not so laborious, or a chore. That’s what we’re building upon - making sure our literacy instruction is strong. For me, the most important thing I can give my kinders is the ability to read by the time they leave kindergarten." She also tries to meet students' Social and Emotional (SEL) and developmental needs, praising them when they sound out words or break them into syllables, and listening empathetically to anything they want to share during "carpet time." 

As a Kindergarten teacher, Saldivar said she enjoys helping students to build confidence in themselves as learners. "I love when the students start to believe in themselves - that they are achieving," she said. "When they start kindergarten, they don’t know yet what they’re capable of. When they read on their own, that look on their face when they say, 'I’m doing it,' it's priceless." She also enjoys working with Olympic HS students who help her students as teaching assistants to earn service learning credit. "Some of them speak Spanish and a lot of them are from the Shore Acres community," Saldivar said. "So, it’s wonderful because they can feel very useful and they’re giving back to Shore Acres." 

Saldivar said she and all the Shore Acres teachers work to show the students their potential, and to show them they’re capable of anything. "As an AVID elementary school, we’re always trying to prepare the kids to believe that their future is in college or in a career," she said. "They can imagine themselves going there. We make a plan for how they get there." Flipping through one student's AVID Binder, she showed information that is shared with parents to help them study with their children. "Students who are the most organized are the most successful in school," she said, explaining that the AVID binder helps students learn how to be organized and shows parents how to build on what their children are learning in English, Spanish, literacy and math. "I show the parents exactly how I'm teaching during parent teacher conferences," she said. "I show them how to use sound boxes (boxes on paper that students write letters in to sound out words). I share high frequency words, and letter sounds, so at home, parents can support them. Getting the students to reach their goals takes a team. This AVID binder gives the parents the tools to do that both in English and Spanish. Students work on it at home and at school, so it’s a big part of becoming scholars, becoming students of excellence." 

Her teammates said Saldivar greatly deserves this recognition. "She's amazing," said TK Dual Language Spanish Partner teacher Blanca Lopez Casado, adding that she learns a lot from Saldivar. "She goes the extra mile. She teaches in a very pedagogical way that is differentiated and individualized. She's like the captain of the ship." Garcia Esquivel added: "We've been together three years now. The reason I like to teach kindergarten is because of her. I love working with her so much."