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Meet the Arizona Teacher of the Year 2025 Honorees

Each year, the Teacher of the Year program recognizes 15 candidates for our state’s highest recognition for teaching excellence.

A group of people in white shirts wave from a red truck with

Arizona Teacher of the Year 2025

Emmett Burnton from Boulder Creek High School in the Deer Valley Unified School District

He is in his 9th year of teaching AP World History and U.S. History Dual Enrollment at Boulder Creek High School in Anthem. Burnton received his Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education- History from Northern Arizona University and his Master of Arts – History at Arizona State University. Burnton is the Founder of Duel of Fates, a local business built upon redefining how students study the world history curriculum. At Boulder Creek, Burnton sponsors the Anime Club, the Culture Club and is co-level lead of the Advanced Placement professional learning community for history and was the world history level lead for six years. In 2017 Burnton was nominated for the Deer Valley Rookie of the Year Award and in 2024 was awarded the title Deer Valley Education Foundation Teacher of the Year. As a student, he went from suspensions, fighting, and being labeled as academically troubled, to now helping the next generation channel their energy into a positive medium, ensuring students of all backgrounds and levels learn how to take ownership of themselves.

Meet the Four Finalists:
Tori Anderson-Carl Hayden High School, Phoenix Union High School District
Jodian Brown-Desert View Intermediate School, Page Unified School District
Ryan Donovan-Boulder Creek High School, Deer Valley Unified School District
Jennifer Spector-Desert View Elementary School, Washington Elementary School District

The Arizona Teacher of the Year Award is our state’s highest state-level recognition for public school educators. The program has been coordinated by the Arizona Educational Foundation (AEF) for the past 41-years, with AEF serving as the State Coordinator of the National Teacher of the Year program. Burnton will join other State Teachers of the Year from across the country in a year of professional learning and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities like meeting the U.S. President and visiting the Oval Office, training at Google Headquarters in California, to learning to be an astronaut at International Space Camp.

Burnton was one of fifteen educators honored by AEF this year as part of the Teacher of the Year program. Five quarterfinalists and five semifinalists were identified in August, with the five finalists, known as “AEF Ambassadors for Excellence” taking the stage at the awards ceremony on October 19th to find out live who won.  The ceremony was held at the Madison Center for the Arts in Phoenix. Governor Katie Hobbs and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne addressed the crowd of 600 individuals representing the education and corporate sectors. Desert Financial Executive Vice President, Cathy Graham, presented the award. Desert Financial has served as the presenting sponsor of the Arizona Teacher of the Year Awards for the past five consecutive years.

2025 Teacher of the Year Semifinalists 

2025 Teacher of the Year Honorable Mentions

The prize package for the Arizona Teacher of the Year includes $15,000 from the Arizona Educational Foundation and travel to National Teacher of the Year events, including a trip to the White House to meet the President and a weeklong trip to International Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Burnton will also be considered for an honorary doctorate from Northern Arizona University.

The 2025 Arizona Teacher of the Year, four Ambassadors for Excellence, and five semifinalists, also receive professional speech and media training to aid them in delivering hundreds of presentations during their year of recognition. AEF also has generous partners who provide gifts to the top ten teachers including scholarships from the Arizona K12 Center to pursue National Board Certification, the opportunity to ride on the APS fire engine during the Fiesta Bowl Parade, and a “Fiesta Bowl Experience” package including tickets and on-field recognition provided by Fiesta Bowl Charities. In addition to serving as presenting sponsor of the ceremony, Desert Financial Credit Union provides each teacher with an iPad, keyboard case, and $25 gift card.