Kern County board honors April Ruck Winden as 2026 California Teacher of the Year
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Summary
The Kern County Board of Education read and adopted a resolution recognizing April Ruck Winden of Dr. Douglas K. Fletcher Elementary as California Teacher of the Year and extended the board’s support as she advances to the national competition.
The Kern County Board of Education presented a resolution honoring April Ruck Winden of Dr. Douglas K. Fletcher Elementary School in the Bakersfield City School District after a video and staff remarks highlighting her work in garden education and the Edible Schoolyard program.
The board read a resolution that lauded Ruck Winden’s two decades of teaching, her role as a certified reading interventionist and the development of the Fletcher Edible Schoolyard — a program that includes a hydroponic farm, an electric composter and lessons in cooking, sustainability and environmental stewardship. The resolution stated she was selected to represent Kern County and California in the national Teacher of the Year competition and concluded, “Adopted this January 2026.”
In remarks recorded in the meeting, Ruck Winden said she was pleased to represent the county and state and thanked the board: “I’m really excited to represent our county and, our state in the national competition and thank you for supporting schools and students every day.” The board also resolved to enter the recognition into the official minutes and to present a copy to Ruck Winden.
Next steps: board staff will place the resolution in the official minutes and provide Ruck Winden with a copy, and the board indicated formal support as she advances to the national competition.
