Andee Aceves

Andee Aceves teaches third grade at San Altos Elementary School in Lemon Grove in the Lemon Grove School District (San Diego County).

“Mrs. Aceves is a pioneer for her family and a role model for her students,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell. “Raised by non-English speaking grandparents, she experienced the disconnect that still exists today for a great many of California’s children between home and school, a place where she said she felt like an ‘uninvited, but tolerated guest.’ Mrs. Aceves brings to the classroom a valuable perspective that allows insight and a better understanding of her students’ needs, abilities, and challenges.”

In Mrs. Aceves’ application for the California Teachers of the Year Program, she wrote:

“Unlike many of my colleagues who have always intended to teach and come from a long line of educated family members, I have a different perspective. I know that not all students have equal access to resources. I understand that loving, caring parents cannot always help with homework. I even recognize the strength of the unruly child who comes to school despite the chaos he/she lives in. I was that bright, skeptical, and belligerent child in the class; the student that teachers talked about with disparagement in the teacher’s lounge. My personal teaching style reflects a willing acceptance and consideration of skeptical students and their families. I teach to make a difference in their perception of school and to remove those barriers that interfere with learning.”

Mrs. Aceves graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 1979 with a Bachelor of Art’s degree in Sociology. She has earned a multiple-subject teaching credential from San Diego State University in 1992, and a Master’s degree in math curriculum from San Diego State University in 2003.