EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A teacher at East Picacho Elementary School was named the 2026 New Mexico Teacher of the Year on Monday, Sept. 29.
Nancy Orta, a first-grade teacher at East Picacho Elementary, was named New Mexico Teacher of the Year.
“Congratulations to Nancy Orta on this incredible achievement. Working with our youngest students takes tremendous talent, kindness, and, of course, patience — and Ms. Orta exemplifies all of those traits in abundance. I look forward to gaining insight from her unique teaching experiences.”
Las Cruces, Public Education Secretary Mariana D. Padilla
Orta has been recognized for her decades-long dedication to literacy. She began her career in 2000 as an elementary school teacher and later served for 10 years as a reading interventionist. Since 2019, she has taught in kindergarten and first-grade classrooms.
Orta has also served as a university instructor at New Mexico State University and facilitated STEM enrichment through NMSU’s afterschool programming.
Orta earned a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction from Grand Canyon University and a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from NMSU.
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