Bayfield High School English-Language Arts teacher Brian Sleevi has been named one of 21 semifinalists for the Colorado Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year award.
Sleevi was chosen out of 297 applicants from 76 districts.
“I think it's just a great honor and a great opportunity,” Sleevi said. “... There’s just so much great work happening in Southwest Colorado. I’m lucky to be a part of it.”
Sleevi has 17 years of teaching experience, seven of which have been at BHS. He holds a bachelor’s degree in human communications from the University of Northern Colorado and two masters degrees – one in English education from the University of South Florida and one in English from the University of Colorado.
He was also awarded the Outstanding Colorado Educator Award from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2025.
Before beginning his tenure at BHS, Sleevi worked as a fourth grade tutor at a community center while in graduate school; spent several years teaching English as a Second Language in Izmir, Turkey; worked in the Denver Public School system and at the New America School in Thornton; and taught in CU Boulder's Precollegiate Development Program in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Sleevi said his “great students,” who helped him create a nomination video, were the main driving force behind him being chosen as a semifinalist.
“They helped me put together the video, and it was really special, and I think (I’ve gotten here) because of those students,” he said.
In the video, Sleevi’s students called him supportive, understanding of the pressures of being a young person and passionate about his work.
Sleevi now has to author five essays in response to question prompts and gather several additional recommendations.
Finalists will be announced in September, and the winner will be named in October.
The selected teacher will begin their term as Teacher of the Year in January, and will become Colorado’s nominee for the Council of Chief State School Officers’ National Teacher of the Year Program. The winner will also be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., and be awarded $10,000 courtesy of the Boettcher Foundation and the Colorado Department of Education.
“There’s so many great candidates,” Sleevi said. “It’s just exciting to be one of them.”
Lissa Lycan, who teaches seventh and eighth grade English-Language Arts in the Montezuma-Cortez School District, was also named as a semifinalist.
“With nearly 300 applicants this year, getting to this stage of the process is an incredible and exciting achievement,” said Jeremy Meyer, Colorado Department of Education communications director.
The program is sponsored by the Boettcher Foundation and supported by partnerships with the Colorado Education Association, Adams State University and Blue Bell Ice Cream.
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