A near-record 108 educators in Salem and Keizer schools have a chance to take home a Crystal Apple trophy this year. Nominations are public for the annual award ceremony that recognizes outstanding educators. Just earning a nomination requires at least three letters of support from colleagues, st udents, parents or others in the community. About half of those nominated are teachers. The list also includes four custodians, a nurse, a registrar, a carpenter and dozens of other people who work in classrooms and behind the scenes to keep schools running. Most work for schools in the Salem-Keizer School District. Leslie Middle School and West Salem High School topped the list, with nine nominees each. Blanchet Catholic School, Salem Academy Christian School, St. Joseph Catholic School and Western Christian School also had at least one nominee. Winners will be announced at the annual red carpet event on Thursday, May 14, 2026, from 7-9 p.m. at the Salem Convention Center. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, April 8, for $45 and typically sell out quickly. The event is put on by the McLaran Leadership Foundation and the Salem-Area Chamber of Commerce Here’s a list of the 2026 nominees:  Christopher Anderson, teacher, Hammond Elementary Jay Bacus, teacher, West Salem High School Adam Banducci, behavior specialist, Roberts High School Anne Bartlett, library specialist, Stephens Middle School Christopher Bartruff, custodian, McKay High School Elizabeth Beazizo, librarian, West Salem High School Doug Beisley, teacher, Washington Elementary Michelle Bertholf, teacher, Hammond Elementary Emily Bjelland, teacher, West Salem High School Dustin Boyd, custodian, Stephens Middle School Carolyn Breedlove, special education teacher, Behavioral Health Center Autumn Breitwieser, teacher, McKay High School Mary Beth Brooks, teacher, St. Joseph Catholic School Cesar Bueno, counselor, South Salem High School Amanda Burke, program associate, Student Services Rosa Ceja-Contreras, program specialist, Elementary Language Acquisition Hayden Chandler, behavior specialist, Yoshikai Elementary Christi Cheever, principal, Parrish Middle School Sydney Chisholm, special program instructional assistant, Yoshikai Elementary Cortney Clendening, teacher, Kennedy Elementary Rosio Contreras, graduation coach, McNary High School T.J. Crockett, director of transportation, Transportation Services Michelle Crook, instructional assistant, Cummings Elementary Elizabeth Curry, teacher, Leslie Middle School Ann Marie Davis, special education teacher, Leslie Middle School Jessica Defrancisco, teacher, Sumpter Elementary John Divelbiss, teacher, West Salem High School Stacey Evans, teacher, Forest Ridge Elementary Amy Faiman, teacher, Schirle Elementary School Jeffrey Flores, special education instructional assistant, Leslie Middle School Marissa Frye, teacher, Grant Community School Bethany Fussell, teacher, Wright Elementary Omar Gallardo, registrar, Roberts Middle School Kimberly Ganchenko, teacher, Swegle Elementary Melissa Garcia, teacher, Hoover Elementary Maria Garcia-Rodriguez, special program instructional assistant, Waldo Middle School Yaneli Garibay, teacher, Eyre Elementary Jennifer Gelbrich, teacher, West Salem High School Juventino Gonzalez, community resource specialist, Office of Student Equity, Access and Advancement Lindsay Goodpaster, assistant principal, West Salem High School Estela Gutierrez, instructional assistant, Chapman Hill Elementary Efrain Guzman, behavior intervention trainer, Highland Elementary Arlee Hall, teacher, Leslie Middle School Joey Hansen, instructional support assistant, Salem Heights Elementary Whitney Hines, teacher, Walker Middle School Jason Howell, sign language interpreter specialist, Crossler Middle School Diana Huerta-Cortez, teacher, McNary High School Megan Jackson, nurse, West Salem High School Krista Jardine, behavior specialist, Whiteaker Middle School Kurt Johnson, teacher, Washington Elementary Carly Justino, teacher, Miller Elementary Lauren Keller, teacher, Forest Ridge Elementary Tanja Langen, teacher, South Salem High School Ricardo Larios, principal, Stephens Middle School Stephanie Lassetter, teacher, McNary High School Melissa Llamas Gutierrez, office manager, Washington Elementary Stephanie Lugo, special education teacher, North Salem High School Marcus Luther, teacher, McNary High School Shane Lutton, custodian, Highland Elementary Kristina Martinez, counselor, Washington Elementary Jack Martino, behavior specialist, North Salem High School Brijida Mata-Sibbett, student data specialist, North Salem High School Kayliegh Melzer, custodian, Whiteaker Socorro Mendez, recruiter, Elementary Language Acquisition Taylor Messerle, teacher, Western Christian School Melissa Mikesh, teacher, Forest Ridge Elementary Jessica Miller, teacher, North Salem High School Seth Mills, general carpenter, Maintenance Esmerelda Miranda-Carmona, special programs instructional assistant, Leslie Middle School Sonia Mora, instructional support assistant, Leslie Middle School Marc Morris, principal, Sumpter Elementary Toni Nanneman, development director, Blanchet Catholic School Christina Nash, instructional assistant, Swegle Elementary Billy Niebla, student advocate, Instructional Services Dakota Nimmo, instructional support assistant, Claggett Creek Middle School Stephanie Nguyen, program associate, Instructional Services Danny Ortiz, teacher, North Salem High School Sarah Pazina, speech language pathologist, Battle Creek Elementary Cecilia Perez, office manager, Leslie Middle School Jodi Peterson, health services coordinator, Student Services Kaitlyn Pierson, special education instructional assistant, Leslie Middle School Ana Ramirez, teacher, Walker Middle School Aimee Rea, program associate, Instructional Services Shirley Richardson, assistant principal, Stephens Middle School Anna Robinson, teacher, Lee Elementary Serianna Rosberg, teacher, Morningside and Salem Heights Elementary Bonnie Rosenthal, behavior specialist, Cummings Elementary Stacy Ryan, teacher, Liberty Elementary Leticia Salas, office manager, Hoover Elementary Bryan Sallee, instructional support assistant, Washington Elementary Nancy Serrano, graduation coach, McNary High School Jeanenne Shaffner, teacher, Englewood Elementary Shauna Simeral, teacher, Salem Academy Christian School Joshua Singleton, campus safety specialist, West Salem High School Kristy Smith, school office specialist, Salem Heights Elementary Brandon Southward, graduation coach, Sprague High School Alicia Sparks, teacher, Western Christian School Michiel Spence-Majors, risk management manager, Safety and Risk Management Services Jamie Stanley, teacher, Hammond Elementary Lesa Stewart, special programs instructional assistant, North Salem High School Jacquelyn Svejkovsky, student data specialist, West Salem High School Christopher Trammell, teacher, Sprague High School Jennifer Tweed, instructional assistant, Candalaria Elementary Josh Vanlue, special education teacher, South Salem High School Krista Vanslyke, accounting clerk, McNary High School Joshua Varon, teacher, Leslie Middle School Whitney Vue, teacher, Gubser Elementary Emily Wynings, teacher, Highland Elementary Contact Managing Editor Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241. 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