Stephanie Sado, a reading and literacy intervention teacher in the Orinda Union School District, has been named a 2026–27 Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year. Sado helped develop a districtwide K–5 reading intervention program and has spent 21 years helping students build foundational literacy skills.
Orinda teacher Stephanie Sado has been named one of two 2026–27 Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year, along with Rebecca St. Michel, a fifth-grade teacher at Brentwood Elementary School in the Brentwood Union School District.
Sado, who grew up in Orinda and attended Sleepy Hollow Elementary School, knows what it’s like to struggle with reading. That experience, along with the patient, caring support she received from her teachers, fueled her commitment to making sure students get the early literacy help they need to thrive.
A reading and literacy intervention teacher on special assignment at Sleepy Hollow and Wagner Ranch, Sado has led professional development for other teachers and played a key role in developing a comprehensive K–5 reading intervention program across Orinda Union School District elementary schools.
“Orinda is one of the top school districts in the state, and it is due to the dedicated educators like Stephanie Sado. Stephanie is brilliant, committed, student-focused and understands what it takes to serve all students,” said Aida Glimme, superintendent of the Orinda Union School District.
Having dedicated reading specialists puts Orinda ahead of most California schools. In 2020–21, the most recent year with state-level federal data, about 31% of California public schools had reading specialists, compared with 48% nationally and 61% of elementary schools nationwide.
Since 2022, the state has put $500 million into a grant program that pays for literacy coaches and reading specialists at more than 800 of its highest-need elementary schools. Orinda schools didn’t qualify for that money, so the district pays for its specialists with district or other funds.
The program starts with a universal screener that identifies students who would benefit from extra support and who may be at risk for reading difficulties.
After further diagnostic assessments, Sado and Erin Miller, her counterpart at Glorietta and Del Rey, work with teachers and aides to plan instruction and group students based on the data. Students with similar skills and needs get help with foundational skills ranging from phonemic awareness to phonics and fluency.
“Then we monitor students’ progress to confirm that we’re helping close foundational gaps so that they can exit the program,” Sado said.
She believes it’s essential to reach students before they lose confidence and become frustrated.
“I think that fun is a big part of making reading accessible to students that struggle with reading,” Sado said. “To find ways to engage them, I use games and find ways to gamify some of the routines.”
Sado also uses multisensory learning, bringing other senses into lessons to engage different kinds of learners. She uses tactile tools like sand trays and magnetic boards and finds ways to get kids up and moving.
“My philosophy of teaching is grounded in the belief that all students can learn at high levels when given the right support,” Sado said.
Retired teacher Kay Aaker, who taught Sado at Sleepy Hollow, said she wasn’t surprised that Sado is being honored.
“It starts with parents who are pro-education themselves and proactive in educating their children,” Aaker said. “Stephanie’s parents were just so active in the classroom, not just for her but because they wanted to give back to education.
“I knew right away that Stephanie was going to be a great person. When she came to Sleepy Hollow to teach after college, she was just outstanding. Everybody wanted to have her as a teacher.”
Sado, who has taught for 21 years, holds a Master of Arts in Teaching Leadership from Saint Mary’s College and a Bachelor of Science in General Studies with a Spanish concentration from the University of Southern California, along with a CLAD Multiple Subject Teaching
Credential.
Sado and St. Michel will represent the county in the California State Teacher of the Year competition. Statewide winners are expected to be announced in mid-October.
The Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year program is coordinated annually by the Contra Costa County Office of Education. Candidates must demonstrate instructional leadership and innovation, a commitment to lifelong learning, and the ability to serve as articulate ambassadors for public education.
