Meet the Las Cruces educator named New Mexico Teacher of the Year

LAS CRUCES — Students of East Picacho Elementary School waved blue and gold pompoms and cheered as first grade teacher Nancy Orta was named New Mexico’s Teacher of the Year for 2026.

“Nancy is truly a gifted educator,” state Public Education Secretary Mariana Padilla said during a surprise assembly on the school’s playground. “Her classroom is a space of wonder, creativity and purpose. She motivates her students to give their best and builds strong, lasting relationships with staff, families and the wider school community. … She is the heart of our profession.”

Orta is herself a graduate of the Las Cruces Public Schools and has taught in the district for nearly 26 years. She currently teaches 16 first-graders in a classroom just across the hall from where her husband, Jose Orta, teaches kindergarten. She is also an instructor for student teachers at New Mexico State University, where she earned her elementary education degree before completing her master’s degree in education at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.

The Public Education Department hailed Orta’s work in early childhood education and literacy, including her incorporation of sign language, handwriting and structured literacy programs. She has also taught middle school math and social studies.

Orta was awarded $10,000 by the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, which sponsors the state’s Teacher of the Year program, for professional development including related travel.

She was selected from a pool of four finalists who were nominated by their school districts or charter schools. The award selects teachers “who exemplify excellence in the classroom and leadership in the profession,” the PED stated in a news release. Orta will also represent New Mexico in the national Teacher of the Year competition held by the Council of Chief State School Officers.

The statewide honor follows her recognition in April as the Las Cruces school district’s teacher of the year.

“It all comes back to the simple idea my dad taught me: Whatever you do, you’ve got to put 110% in it, whether it’s planning for the day or whatever it is,” Orta told the Journal.

Speaking of her advice to the aspiring educators, she said, “If you love children, then show them that … through your kind words, through a gentle touch, through giving the time that they need. Children know when they’re struggling, and they know when they’re persevering or when they’ve succeeded at something. Acknowledge that.”

The last New Mexico Teacher of the Year from Doña Ana County was Lorynn Guerrero of Gadsden High School in the Gadsden Independent School District in 2022. Prior to that, in 2016, David Morales of Mayfield High School in Las Cruces claimed the honor. Pamela Cort, the current LCPS board president, was New Mexico’s Teacher of the Year in 2013.

Besides Orta, this year’s finalists included Lee Wilson of Silver High School in Silver City; Sonny Sapien of Albuquerque Collegiate Charter School; and Sarah McMaster of Horizon Academy West in Albuquerque.