Palmdale teacher to represent state in national competition

Palmdale teacher Matthew Winheim will represent California in the National Teachers of the Year competition this spring, state Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond announced Tuesday.

Winheim teaches STEM aviation and mathematics at Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Academy, a middle school in the Palmdale Unified School District.

Thurmond also named four other California Teachers of the Year: Kristen LoPrell, a mathematics and AP calculus teacher at Grossmont High School in the Grossmont Union High School District in San Diego County; Robert Mauger, a career and technical education transportation automotive teacher at Corona High School in the Corona-Norco Unified School District in Riverside County; Nicholas Westfall, a physical education teacher at Alexander Hamilton Senior High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District; and Arby Jean Wolkov, an American Sign Language teacher at William Howard Taft Charter High School in the LAUSD.

“These remarkable teachers have a lasting impact on their students, equipping them with the skills needed for success,” Thurmond said in a statement. “They serve as an inspiration and exemplify the exceptional work happening in California schools.”

Winheim was “humbled and honored to have been selected as a state teacher of the year,” he told the Antlope Valley Press. “It is an honor to represent Palmdale and the Aerospace Valley, and California at the national level.”

Winheim will compete against other state nominees for the 2025 National Teacher of the Year honor that will be announced in the spring.

“Matthew Winheim’s recognition as one of the 2025 California Teachers of the Year is a true reflection of his dedication, creativity, and passion for education,” SAGE Principal Timothy Howell told the newspaper. “His innovative approach to STEM and aviation at Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Academy inspires not only his students but also the entire Palmdale community. We are immensely proud of his achievements and excited to see him represent California on the national stage. His work is a shining example of the impact great teachers have in shaping the future.”

County education departments nominate California Teachers of the Year applicants via their county-level competitions. The sate Department of Education’s selection committees review applications, evaluate teachers’ rapport with students, classroom environments, presentation skills and teaching techniques, then interview prospective honorees. The superintendent of public instruction then chooses the five teachers of the year and the National Teacher of the Year nominee.

More information is available on the California Teachers of the Year webpage.