The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) announced its semifinalists for 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year yesterday, which included one teacher from Longmont. The semifinalist is Julie Ahrens from Twin Peaks Classical Academy (authorized by St. Vrain Valley School District). Ahrens is a kindergarten teacher at Twin Peaks Classical Academy, which is a tuition-free charter school serving pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students in the Longmont area.
The 22 semifinalists represent 22 schools from 17 districts and two charters, the CDE said, and the semifinalists were selected from a pool of 419 Teacher of the Year applicants from 106 school districts. CDE said that there was an increase of 375 percent in applicants compared to last year. This group of semifinalists is the department’s most geographically diverse to date with at least two candidates from every region in Colorado.
Colorado’s 2026 Teacher of the Year, according to CDE, “represents the state’s 55,000+ educators at the state and national levels and will become Colorado’s nominee for the Council of Chief State School Officers’ National Teacher of the Year Program, be honored at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C., and receive $5,000 courtesy of the Boettcher Foundation.”
Ahrens teaches literacy, math, social studies, and science to kindergarten students. According to her biography on CDE’s website, Ahrens is passionate about creating a positive, safe, and stimulating classroom for young children. Last year, she won the Twin Peaks Classical Academy Teacher of the Year award. She holds a bachelor's degree in History and Political Science from Colorado Christian University and a master's degree in elementary education from University of Northern Colorado.
The semifinalist selection process included a review committee of more than 40 people, CDE said, which was made up of previous Colorado Teacher of the Year winners, Colorado Department of Education staff, and representatives from the Boettcher Foundation, the lead sponsor of the Colorado Teacher of the Year program.
According to CDE Multimedia Manager Valerie Mosley, semifinalists will now move on to the next stage of the selection process, which includes submitting additional questions. CDE will announce the finalists in September and name the 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year in October. The selected teacher begins the term in January.
