‘Exemplary educator’: CCSD social studies teacher named Nevada Teacher of the Year

Brooke Wheatley did not expect to find her students, family and Nevada’s governor gathered together when she entered her school’s auditorium. But the unlikely crowd was there to celebrate a prestigious honor.

Wheatley, a Valley High School social studies educator, was named the 2027 Nevada State Teacher of the Year on Tuesday. Wheatley is the 70th teacher to win the award, presented by the Nevada Department of Education.

“Thank you for everything you do for your students, your peers,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Victor Wakefield told Wheatley during a surprise ceremony at Valley High School. “You are truly an exemplary educator and leader.”

Nevada State Teacher of the Year is not Wheatley’s first impressive recognition. Wakefield said she has earned National Board Certification, the Heart of Education Award and was previously named Nevada’s History Teacher of the Year.

Wheatley helps students outside the classroom, Wakefield added, aiding students experiencing economic hardships or homelessness and reducing stigma around mental health at Valley High School.

To teach history lessons about World War II, Wakefield said Wheatley takes her students on an annual field trip to the Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles and the Manzanar National Historic Site farther north in California, a location where thousands of Japanese Americans were incarcerated during the war.

Gov. Joe Lombardo called Wheatley’s story as an educator “exactly why teachers matter.”

“When we support our teachers and give them the tools to excel, great teachers like Brooke have the opportunity to do what they do best: help students succeed,” Lombardo said.

State Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop, D-Las Vegas, said that, as a former Clark County School District teacher of 30 years, she knows firsthand how hard Wheatley has worked to serve her students.

“Your love for this job takes a lot of dedication, and I know that your students today recognize that and recognize what a wonderful teacher you are,” Dondero Loop said.

Wheatley will compete for the National Teacher of the Year award, which Wakefield said one Nevadan has won and two others have been finalists for in the past. She has taught at Valley High School and in the school district for the last 12 years.

Wheatley said she went through a lengthy application process to earn the award, writing essays, completing interviews and giving a presentation to show off her public speaking and teaching chops. Wakefield ultimately chose her as the winner from a statewide pool of five finalists.

“It’s just such an honor. It’s unbelievable. I still am a little in shock that I won,” Wheatley said after the ceremony. “I’m just so grateful to be able to be in this position and to be here and to honor my school, to honor my students, to honor my family with this award.”

Wheatley said that, as a teacher, she tries to balance being a caring adult with being a respected mentor. She said she strives to help her students become successful in life, no matter what that success looks like to them.

“Every student just needs that one adult that can show them love and show them a future that they might not have seen for themselves,” Wheatley said. “All I want for them is for them to be able to make their dreams come true.”

Contact Spencer Levering at slevering@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0253.