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SVUSD names Cindy (Cynthia) Avery district Teacher of the Year; PBIS awards honor staff and students
Summary
Sierra Vista Unified School District announced fourth-grade teacher Cynthia (Cindy) Avery of Village Meadows as the district Teacher of the Year and recognized teachers and PBIS student and staff 'superstars' from every site; PBIS leaders said district Tier 1 implementation goals have been met.
The Sierra Vista Unified School District named Village Meadows fourth-grade teacher Cynthia (Cindy) Avery as the 2026 district Teacher of the Year and celebrated site-level honorees and PBIS award winners across the district.
Valerie Weller, who presented the Teacher of the Year program, introduced site winners from Bella Vista, Carmichael, Huachuca Mountain, Pueblo Del Sol, Town & Country, Village Meadows, JCMS and Buena High School. Weller said the Education Foundation of Sierra Vista provided flowers, plaques and a $50 gift for each site honoree.
"The overall SVUSD teacher of the year is fourth grade teacher Mrs. Cindy Avery from Village Meadows," Weller said, calling her an exemplary educator. Site principals and colleagues read citations describing each honoree's instruction, leadership and impact on students.
PBIS coordinator Nicole Parker gave a district overview of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, describing PBIS as an evidence-based, three-tiered framework for improving school climate. District staff reported that all schools improved their PBIS awards in 2024–25 compared with 2023–24 and that the district met its goal to reach 80% Tier 1 implementation fidelity for the 2025–26 school year.
Presenters then recognized student PBIS 'superstars' and staff-of-the-month awardees at each site, with brief citations about students' safe, respectful and responsible behaviors and staff contributions to campus culture.
The presentation concluded with instructions for site teachers of the year to gather for a district group photo. The district plans to continue PBIS implementation work and site-level celebrations into the final weeks of the school year.
