TES teacher earns regional honor

 

TALENT, Ore. — Talent Elementary teacher Linnaea Funk Morales was surprised during an afternoon assembly today when she was named a 2026-27 Southern Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year.

The announcement came in the school's main gym, where Phoenix-Talent School District Superintendent Brent Barry and representatives from the Southern Oregon Education Service District and the Oregon Lottery were on hand to congratulate her.

"It just feels really special," Funk Morales said after accepting the award to a loud ovation from the TES staff and students. "It feels like the work I've done is validated, and recognized, and noticed, and also I just feel really proud."

Funk Morales is one of 17 Regional Teachers of the Year named statewide by the Oregon Department of Education in partnership with the Oregon Lottery. The Oregon Teacher of the Year Program recognizes exceptional pre-K-12 public school educators, and regional honorees are now considered semifinalists for the 2026-27 Oregon Teacher of the Year, to be announced later this fall.

In her nomination, a colleague wrote, "Linnaea exemplifies outstanding instructional practices through her unwavering commitment to students, colleagues, and the profession." The colleague added that Funk Morales "is a passionate advocate for bilingual learners and consistently centers students' languages, identities, and lived experiences as essential assets in the classroom."

Funk Morales described her own teaching philosophy in the nomination, saying, "My belief [is] that strong relationships are the foundation of both culture and learning." She said she works "to dissolve the traditional boundaries of the classroom" by "intentionally designing projects that engage real community partners, provide authentic purposes for academic skills, and center student agency," helping students build "not only academic competence, but also empathy, responsibility, and a lasting sense of belonging within their community."

Regional winners were selected through a nomination and application process run by Oregon's 19 Education Service Districts, with candidates evaluated on leadership, instructional expertise, commitment to equity, community involvement and professional development.

"We are so proud of this year's Regional Teachers of the Year who consistently demonstrate hard work, build strong relationships, empower their students, and create classroom environments that lead to student success," said ODE Director Dr. Charlene Williams.

Each Regional Teacher of the Year receives a $1,000 award, courtesy of the Oregon Lottery, which has directed more than $10 billion to Oregon school districts since 1995 — including over $1 million to Phoenix-Talent School District this past year.

Before Funk Morales was surprised, TES principal Heather Lowe read student comments about the soon-to-be-recognized teacher. One student wrote that Funk Morales "has changed me a lot. She helped me and was kind with everybody."

Remembering those words after the surprise, Funk Morales had to hold back tears. 

"It made me want to cry," she said. "Since I've been here, I've taught two groups of students twice, so I've moved with the students and have really gotten to know them. So it feels really special that they appreciate that, too."