2025 CLTA Conference San Diego

Passionate about planning for learning rather than for teaching, Nicole taught French to grades 3 through 12, including AP French Language for more than 24 years before transitioning to her current role as the Program Specialist for World Languages and Instructional Technology K-12 for San Juan Unified School District. Winner of the 2010 Jane Ortner Educating through Music Award, she was also recognized by both National Geographic and the Hilton Honors Teacher Trek Program for her innovative work with students. She is also the President of the Foreign Language Association of Greater Sacramento, a board member of the California Language Teachers' Association and is the co-director of the Capital World Language Project. She is also a long-time member of ASCD, ISTE and CUE and she served on the Instructional Quality Commission, the primary advisory body to the California State Board of Education. She has presented on a variety of topics at local and state workshops since 1999 and has received several grants for study in France and Canada. She was named an Outstanding Teacher by both the Foreign Language Association of Greater Sacramento and the California Language Teachers' Association and was a finalist for the California League of High Schools Educator of the Year in Region 3. In addition, Nicole achieved National Board Certification and earned her M.Ed in 2006. In 2012, she was named San Juan USD Teacher of the Year, Sacramento County Teacher of the Year and was one of 12 finalists for California State Teacher of the Year. That same year, she also became a Google Certified Teacher. In fall of 2013, Nicole represented California as a candidate for Southwest Conference on Language Teaching's Language Teacher of the Year. She was named SWCOLT's 2014 Teacher of the Year and in November 2014, was named ACTFL's 2015 National Language Teacher of the Year. In her new role, she was recognized as the ACSA Region 3 2021 and 2024 Administrator of the Year for Curriculum. In her spare time, she enjoys figure skating, singing, photography, musical theater and travel.