Alejandra Navarro, a first-grade Dual Language Immersion teacher at Goleta Union School District’s El Camino Elementary School, was announced today as the 2027 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year. The Santa Barbara County Education Office shared the news during the May 14, 2026, County Board of Education meeting.
A passionate advocate for language learning, early literacy, and inclusive instruction, Navarro has dedicated 19 years to the Goleta Union School District and has spent the last 7 years serving students and families at El Camino Elementary School. This year, she was also named Teacher of the Year at both the school and district level.
Navarro is one of the founding teachers who helped launch the district’s first Dual Language Immersion program seven years ago at El Camino, where students are taught in both English and Spanish as they build bilingualism, biliteracy, and cross-cultural understanding. The campus now maintains a waitlist due to strong interest from Goleta families…