Your 2023 Humboldt County Teacher of the Year is also one of the state’s teachers of the year.

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Press release from the Northern Humboldt Union High School District:

We would like to congratulate our very own teacher, Kelly Miller, for being selected by State Superintendent Tony Thurmond as one of the 2024 California Teacher of the Year finalists! In 2015, Kelly Miller came to Northern Humboldt to work as an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at both Arcata High School and McKinleyville High School. She brought with her years of experience at the elementary school level. Currently, Kelly is a full-time agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Arcata High School. Her work with the District’s Agriculture/FFA program has been unequivocally worthy of admiration. Mrs. Miller’s students appreciate and applaud her efforts. In her nomination for the HCOE Excellence in Teaching Award, her FFA students wrote:

“In the classroom, she provides fun and engaging activities for all of her students that make learning about agriculture even more exciting than it already is. She gives us hands-on learning opportunities that we might not have had without her. Outside of the classroom, you will always find Mrs. Miller out in the community striving to make it a better place. She gets her students out to volunteer at events through FFA so we can be active community members.”

Mrs. Miller repeatedly prioritizes students as individual learners who deserve the best she can offer them. Her classroom is a thriving, engaging environment where students are productively and eagerly learning, sharing, and growing academically and emotionally. She is supportive of students in all ways that are critical to their success. She clearly recognizes the importance of a synergistic approach in an educational setting and is always willing to revise curriculum to ensure access and inclusion for every student. Equally important is her understanding of student interests and potential for exploring new avenues for career opportunities.

Mrs. Miller has dedicated herself to our students and the District and has improved the educational landscape for all. Her generosity, knowledge, and kindness are a hallmark of her approach. She has demonstrated the aptitude and expertise to generate lasting benefits for all students. She is, in a word, exceptional.

Kelly Miller truly represents Northern Humboldt as a model for Excellence in Teaching and is very deserving of being recognized as a finalist for California State Teacher of the Year.