GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — On Thursday, the Colorado Department of Education announced the 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year. Out of the 22 educators named as semifinalists, two are educators from District 51: Liz Fitzgerald from Mesa View Elementary School and Stephanie LaCount from Grand Junction High School.

Fitzgerald is a first-grade teacher at Mesa View Elementary School in Grand Junction. She has been an educator for 17 years, and her honors include FIRST Inspire the Future Honoree and Outstanding Coach Award from the National FIRST Lego League. According to her semifinalist bio, she "wants to create a safe place for students like her teachers did for her."

LaCount is an English Language Arts teacher at Grand Junction High School and has been an educator for 19 years. She has

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