The Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) recently announced that Stephanie Sado, a literacy intervention teacher in the Orinda Union School District, and Rebecca St. Michel, a fifth-grade teacher at Brentwood Elementary School in the Brentwood Union School District have been named the 2026-27 Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year.

    The educators were recognized during the 54th Annual Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year Celebration on Sept. 17 at the Hilton Concord. As county winners, St. Michel and Sado will advance to the California State Teachers of the Year competition.

    Sado holds a Master of Arts in Teaching Leadership from Saint Mary’s College and a Bachelor of Science in General Studies with a Spanish concentration from the University of Southern California, along with a CLAD Multiple Subject Teaching Credential.

    Her passion for education began in childhood and was reaffirmed during her college years when she enrolled in her first education course and discovered her calling to teach. Over the past 12 years, Sado has focused on helping students develop strong literacy skills while ensuring they experience reading as a source of confidence and enjoyment.

    Drawing from her own struggles with literacy as a child, Sado is committed to providing early intervention and ensuring students receive the support they need before frustration or self-doubt takes hold. Beyond working directly with students, she has led professional development, helped establish districtwide literacy systems, and played a key role in developing a comprehensive K-5 reading intervention program across Orinda Union School District elementary schools.

    St. Michel is a fourth-generation educator with more than 27 years of classroom experience. She has spent her entire teaching career serving students at Brentwood Elementary School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and Sciences from San Diego State University and her California teaching credential from California State University, East Bay.

    Sado and St. Michel were selected from a group of four finalists. The other finalists were Evette Evers-Threatt of Martin Luther King Jr. Junior High School in the Pittsburg Unified School District and Julee Henderson of Acalanes High School in the Acalanes Union High School District.

    The Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year program is coordinated annually by the Contra Costa County Office of Education.