First 2024 Riverside County Educator of the Year Named in Surprise Visit in Palm Springs Unified School District
PALM SPRINGS – More than 100 principals and administrators from the Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD) were gathered for a training session on the morning of Thursday, January 16, 2025, when PSUSD Executive Assistant Erika Barragan was asked to come to the large conference room. Upon entering to a round of applause, she was surprised to see her family and Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez, who were there to announce that Erika had been named the 2025 Riverside County Confidential Employee of the Year.
Each year, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez, conducts surprise visits to name the 2025 Riverside County Educators of the Year who are selected from the more than 40,000 employees serving 430,000 students in more than 500 schools. Six additional surprise visits are planned throughout January and early February. All honorees will be recognized at the 2025 Celebrating Educators Luncheon set for May 13, at the Riverside Convention Center.
“I am a product of this district. I graduated from Palm Springs High School and grew up in Desert Hot Springs. I’m really happy to be here at the district giving back to the community that I grew up in,” said Erika Barragan, moments after being surprised with the news that she is the 2025 Riverside County Confidential Employee of the Year.
“We have about 400 confidential employees across Riverside County, and this is an instrumental position where she is supporting executive staff and administrators, and her role is pivotal in the efficient operation of the district’s top leadership,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez. “Erika is someone who is known for her integrity, her high caliber of excellence, and someone who is highly respected, and highly admired.”
Erika Barragan has served in her role at Palm Springs Unified School District since 2021, where she is a key liaison for the district and the superintendent’s office with multiple groups of people including community organizations, state agencies, the board of education, district staff, and more. Recently, she led the district’s implementation of Assembly Bill 275 which authorized stipends for student board members—a process that included researching, creating, and leading to the passage of district policy that amplifies student voice within the district.
Previously, she served as the first executive assistant for the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) and was instrumental in the formation and development of the new state agency. Her colleagues describe her as having “a natural ability to assess the pros and cons of any decision and to offer wise advice.” Erika is a resident of Indio.
Categories and honorees for the 2025 Riverside County Educators of the Year:
- Riverside County Confidential Employee of the YearErika Barragan, Executive AssistantPalm Springs Unified School District
- Riverside County Certificated Administrator of the Year
TBD in January/February 2025 - Riverside County Classified Employee of the Year
TBD in January/February 2025 - Riverside County Site Support Employee of the Year
TBD in January/February 2025 - Riverside County Classified Administrator of the Year
TBD in January/February 2025 - Riverside County Principal of the Year
TBD in January/February 2025 - Riverside County School Counselor of the Year
TBD in January/February 2025
The Riverside County Educators of the Year are selected from the more than 36,000 educational employees in the county. The rigorous application process starts with nominations by teachers, classified employees, and school district administrators throughout the county. Applications are then submitted to the Riverside County Office of Education, where an outside selection committee selects the honorees before the county superintendent's announcement.
Along with the 2025 Riverside County Teachers of the Year named previously, all 2025 Riverside County Educators of the Year will be honored at the Celebrating Educators Luncheon, set for Tuesday, May 13, at the Riverside Convention Center.
Clarification: The 2025 Riverside County Teachers of the Year were named in mid-2024 to align with the 2025 California State Teacher of the Year competition. The 2026 Riverside County Teachers of the Year will be announced in May/June of 2025 and will vie for the 2026 California State Teacher of the Year award that will be named in the fall of 2025 by the California Department of Education and State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond. The 2026 Riverside County Teachers of the Year will be honored at the 2026 Celebrating Educators Event in May 2026.
2025 Riverside County Teachers of the Year (named in mid-2024)
Amy Torres
Mathematics
Indio High School
Desert Sands USD
Amanda Zonker
History/Social Science, English/Language ArtsRiverside STEM Academy
Riverside USD
Bob Mauger
Named 2025 California Teacher of the Year
Automotive TechnologyCorona High School
Corona-Norco USD
Misty McBee
Animatronics
Harvest Hill STEAM Academy
Menifee Union School District