A Ute Pass Elementary School teacher is in the running for the state’s teacher of the year.

Sixth-grade teacher Miles Groth, who teaches arts and sciences at the Manitou Springs School District 14 school, is one of seven finalists for the 2024 Colorado Teacher of the Year award. The Colorado Department of Education will announce a sole finalist in October who will become the state’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year, according to a news release.

The annual recognition honors “an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled K-12 classroom teacher to represent the entire profession of Colorado.”

“I’m incredibly honored to be recognized for this honor amongst other incredible educators,” Groth said in a D-14 news release. “For years, I have worked to provide students with a unique approach to public education that values relationships and connections to the natural world. I’m excited for the opportunity to share how exciting learning in my class and our school is!”

Ute Pass Elementary School teacher Miles Groth stands in front of his school. Groth is named a finalist in this year’s Colorado Teacher of the Year award.

Courtesy of Manitou Springs School District 14

Groth has been with D-14 for 10 years and is described as having a dynamic teaching style that has “left an indelible mark on the school community.” He created the Mountain Academy of Arts and Sciences nearly decade ago, which focuses on experiential learning, integrated lessons and environmental stewardship. Last year his curriculum became the only school-based program in the country to earn a Leave No Trace Youth Program Accreditation and one of eight programs total.

“Our school and district are extremely proud of Miles and the work that he has done to provide students with non-traditional learning experiences!” Ute Pass Elementary School Principal Jackie Powell said in the D-14 news release. “Miles is someone who works tirelessly to remove barriers in a student’s education, and the results are seen and felt throughout our entire community. He believes that a classroom is not confined to four walls, and that young learners can have a voice in their educational decisions. ”

The award is supported by the Denver 7 television station and the Boettcher Foundation and presented by CDE, Adams State University and Blue Bell Ice Cream.

Other finalists include the following:

• Rawa Abu Alsamah is a middle school special education teacher at Rocky Mountain Prep charter school, in Denver. Alsamah is recognized for her ability to engage students in fun and educational ways and using her own experience “to help students think about the world critically and through a culturally diverse lens.”
• Danielle Cerna is a sixth grade math and science teacher at Trailside Academy in Mapleton School District and the founding member of the Mapleton Mentorship Program. The program supports new Mapleton teachers with guidance and mentorship to ensure a successful transition into their classroom roles.
• Ivy Dalley is a sixth grade English language arts and social studies teacher at Mancos Middle School in Mancos School District. Dalley has worked in the district for nine years and “cultivated a deep connection with her rural community that has allowed her students to showcase the resources around them.”
• Kimberly Kane is a sixth grade English Language Arts teacher at Delta Middle School in Delta County School District 50Jl. Her focus on a positive, inclusive learning environment led her to implement a school-wide peer tutoring program in two buildings. Kane also supports new teachers in her district as an instructional coach and mentor.
• Jessica May — Conrad Ball/Turner Middle School, Thompson School District taught at Conrad Ball Middle School in Loveland at the time of her application, focusing on social-emotional learning, life skills and reading in the real world for all sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. May now teaches Family and Consumer Science to sixth through eighth graders at Turner Middle School in Berthoud. She is recognized for creating strong relationships with students and inspiring their love for reading.
• Tiffeny O’Dell is a junior high science and CTE health teacher at Byers Junior Senior High School in Byers School District 32-J. O’Dell has taught students from kindergarteners to adults during her career and has worked in an emergency department, bringing that background to her classroom work with students.