A big group of adults filed into Escuela Bilingüe Pioneer music teacher Wanda Vásquez García’s classroom on Friday afternoon, bringing storytime to a halt.

The adults included Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova, there to surprise García at her Lafayette elementary school with the news that she is one of seven finalists for the Colorado Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year award.

“The finalists are amazing people,” Cordova said. “It’s so inspiring to think of the impact these teachers have on their students.”

The Colorado Department of Education received more than 1,300 nominations for the Teacher of the Year application process, a record high for the department. Of those nominees, 94 educators completed the application process, nine were selected for interviews with a review committee and seven were chosen as finalists. The 2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year will be announced in October.García, who is in her sixth year teaching at Pioneer, is a Dominican-American general music educator, advocate, author and clinician. Along with teaching at Pioneer and starting a 60-student school choir, she’s a teacher leader for the Connected Arts Networks Project through the National Association for Music Educators and published a bilingual children’s book on Dominican folk music.

She said one fundamental aspect of her teaching philosophy is connecting students with the community by having them learn from professional artists and perform in various settings. Another is making her classroom a safe place by giving students a voice in what they learn.

She said she surveys her students to find out what they’re most interested in and uses the results to plan her year, as well as letting them pick the books she reads and the instruments they learn.

“I always welcome their input,” she said. “They feel heard and appreciated here. This is their space.”

Garcia said she also introduces her students to a wide range of musical styles and cultures.

“I want them to be proud of their own culture,” she said. “If they can leave the school feeling proud of their own music, then my job is done.”

Aubrey Yeh, Boulder Valley’s fine and performing arts coordinator, said the district has a lot of great musicians and teachers. But García, she said, stands out for her student-centered philosophy.

“One of the really special things Wanda brings, is, she really makes the class for and about the kids and really honors their cultures and identities,” Yeh said.

Yeh added that García is generous in sharing the music resources she creates in Spanish with teachers at other schools, helping them meet the needs of Spanish-speaking students.

“She enriches our district so much,” Yeh said. “We’re really grateful to have her.”

As a finalist, García received $1,500 funded by the Colorado Department of Education and the Boettcher Foundation. Pioneer will receive a separate donation of $500 to support educator recognition efforts through funding from the Boettcher Foundation.