Nadine “Page” Phillips, Mark Keppel High School Drama Teacher and Visual and Performing Arts department chairperson, was among the 16 educators honored as 2024-2025 Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year during the 43rd Annual Teacher of the Year Awards luncheon on September 20. The County Teachers of the Year represent the very best of the profession, setting the standard for their 73,000 colleagues countywide.
Nadine Page Phillips was named Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year and honored at a luncheon at the Universal Hilton Hotel.
“Our teachers are the heart and soul of our schools,” said Dr. Debra Duardo, L.A. County Superintendent of Schools. “Their passion for education, creativity in the classroom, and deep dedication to their students make an immeasurable impact. They remind us everyday why teaching is the foundation of a strong community.”
Phillips and the other County honorees were chosen from a highly competitive pool of 69 teachers representing 65 school districts, who had already been named Teacher of the Year by their respective school districts. As part of the rigorous selection process, nominees submitted essays, lesson plans, and other materials, and were interviewed by judging panels consisting of educational experts and past California Teachers of the Year. At all levels, selection of the Teachers of the Year seeks to spotlight teaching excellence and recognize exemplary dedication, innovative classroom practices, and significant contributions to the profession.
Page was accompanied at the luncheon by her husband Dennis McCullough, son Harrison McCullough, and daughters Grace McCullough and Rose McCullough). Also cheering her on were AUSD representatives Ken Tang (Board Clerk), Dr. Marcia Wilson (Board Member), Dr. Denise Jaramillo (Superintendent), Janet Lees (Assistant Superintendent-Educational Services), Natalie Tee-Gaither (Director-Public Information), and Alejandra “Alex” Perez (Mark Keppel High School Principal).
“Teaching is not just a profession for me. Honestly, it is a calling, it is a passion, and it is a lifelong commitment,” reflected Phillips, who is a 25-year veteran teacher. “It is my goal as an educator that everyone leaves my classroom knowing they are valued and knowing their value.”
It’s a goal Phillips has been extremely successful at achieving. Her former student Evan Sakuma, now a Ph.D. candidate and instructor at UC Berkeley’s Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies, wrote glowingly about “Ms. P” (as he affectionately calls her) and stated that all of his accomplishments “can easily be traced back to the foundation Ms. P laid down for me. How lucky I am to have had Ms. P as a mirror that allowed me to see myself the way I wanted to, the way I NEEDED to. All students who have had the pleasure of working with her will no doubt have their own stories to tell of being transformed by her education.”
Another former student, Amy Hughson, who is now an Alhambra Unified School District elementary drama teacher, wrote a letter of recommendation for her, stating that “Ms. Phillips taught me drama, but she also taught me the qualities of a good teacher: a good teacher is someone who shares their subject matter knowledge in engaging and meaningful; a good teacher is someone who creates a safe space for students to discover themselves and the world; a good teacher is someone who believes in you so much that you end up being believing in yourself. Ms. Phillips exhibits all these qualities and more.” She concluded by describing Page Phillips in one simple word: “extraordinary.”
We are extremely proud to have AUSD’s Teacher of the Year gain an additional accolade as a County Teacher of the Year.
