Tucson Values Teachers (TVT) presented the November Teacher Excellence Award yesterday to Leticia Montero, a 7th and 8th grade English Language Development teacher at Challenger Middle School. Ms. Montero has taught for 10 years in Sunnyside Unified School District; the past five have been at Challenger.
“I strongly believe that we all have the power to influence others in a positive way, and I take that to heart everyday with my students,” said Ms. Montero. “My goal is to empower them to believe in themselves and know that with hard work and discipline everything is within our reach.”
Previously, Ms. Montero has been recognized as a STAR teacher at Sierra Middle School in 2012 and at Challenger Middle School in 2022. Last year, she received a Teacher Appreciation Award from the City of Tucson Ward V office.
Ms. Montero was nominated for the Teacher Excellence Award by her colleague, Kelley Brooks-Cavaletto. In her nominating statement, Ms. Brooks-Cavaletto wrote, “Through the PBIS structures and system Ms. Montero has developed and set up with her teaching team, our students are excited to come to school each day, be recognized for their efforts, and engage in learning with strong identities as students.
“In addition, Ms. Montero has started to facilitate family nights with our leadership team, wherein families are invited to learn more about our English Language Development program, experience learning tasks as their children do, and build a deeper understanding of the middle school to high school transition for our families.”
Ms. Montero received $250 cash courtesy of Helios Education Foundation, a $100 gift certificate to Jonathan’s Educational Resources, flowers, a TVT tumbler, and an insulated bag from Tucson Federal Credit Union that contained small gift items including a $20 gift card to Target.
