Autumn Rivera, a sixth-grade science teacher at Glenwood Springs Middle School in the Roaring Fork School District was named 2022 Colorado Teacher of the year on Oct. 22. The surprise announcement came at a limited capacity, COVID-19-counscious ceremony in Glenwood Springs.
Amie Baca-Oehlert, high school counselor and president of the Colorado Education Association, attended the ceremony to congratulate Rivera, who is a member of the Roaring Fork Community Education Association.
“Autumn’s selection as the 2022 Colorado Teacher of the Year is a reflection of who she is and what she means to her students and her community,” said Baca-Oehlert. “She is a passionate educator who helps her students realize their self-worth and potential. Autumn wants to ensure that her students, no matter where they come from, realize that change begins with them.”
Rivera believes that there are many issues in public education that need addressing but one, in particular, is something that we need to tackle in order to make public education exceptional for all students.
“Providing adequate funding, increasing social and emotional support, and supporting teachers are all big issues that need to be solved before we can fully move forward,” said Rivera. “However, the major issue I see that needs to be addressed as soon as possible is equity in education. The past year my school’s Instructional Leadership Team, of which I am a member, tasked our staff to reflect on how we, as teachers, address unconscious bias in our school.”
It was a very difficult year to begin these conversations, but we felt it was crucial, now more than ever, to push forward,” said Rivera. “Of course our work is not complete and, as a leadership team, we decided to continue with this goal for the upcoming school year.”
During her more than sixteen years as an educator, she has worked with students from elementary to postgraduate levels. She is an adjunct professor at Colorado Mountain College in the Education Department. She holds both a Bachelors of Arts in Biology and a Masters of Arts in Teaching Secondary Science from Colorado College; and a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.In her very limited free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, reading, volunteering, and spending quality time with people she loves.
Rivera, the seventh consecutive CEA member to be named Colorado Teacher of the Year, will compete for the National Teacher of the Year Award and will be honored with other state Teachers of the Year at a White House ceremony next year.
The Colorado Education Association (CEA) is a longtime sponsor of the Colorado Teacher of the Year Award, and will provide Rivera with a stipend to travel in her new role and to engage in networking opportunities with past Colorado Teachers of the Year.
