Victoria Morgan named 2026 Los Lunas Teacher of the Year

Victoria Morgan’s selection as the 2026 Los Lunas Teacher of the Year gave the district a chance to say something bigger about what families in Valencia County want from schools: strong instruction, steady staff and teachers who know the community they serve. Los Lunas Schools serves more than 8,300 students in 12 surrounding communities and employs about 1,500 staff, so a single campus recognition carried districtwide weight.

Morgan teaches at Raymond Gabaldon Elementary, but her ties to the school go back long before her own classroom. She said she has taught there for three years and attended the school as an intermediate-school student from 2000 to 2002, a full-circle connection that gave the award extra meaning. For parents watching staffing stability and student outcomes, that kind of long-term commitment is part of what makes a school feel rooted instead of interchangeable.

Raymond Gabaldon Elementary also carries its own history. The original building was constructed in 1938 with federal Works Progress Administration funds, and the campus was officially named Raymond Gabaldon Central School in November 1982. Raymond Gabaldon, who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and later worked in Los Lunas schools as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent, gave the campus a namesake tied to service and leadership. The school itself has served the community as a kindergarten-through-8th-grade school, an intermediate school and now a Pre-K through 6th grade campus.

Morgan’s recognition also fit into a larger district pattern. Los Lunas Schools paired her honor with other campus recognitions, signaling that the district is trying to turn end-of-year awards into more than ceremony. In the 2022-23 school year, each Los Lunas school nominated a teacher of the year, and from 15 campus nominations Janelle Beyerl of Desert View Elementary was chosen as the district winner. That history suggests the district has treated teacher recognition as a competitive, campus-based process before elevating one educator for broader praise.

The award also comes during a year when teacher recognition has remained a statewide issue. Nancy Louise Orta of Las Cruces Public Schools was named the 2026 New Mexico Teacher of the Year, extending a state tradition that reaches back to 2011. For Los Lunas, Morgan’s honor read less like a routine staff notice than a public statement about continuity, belonging and the value of keeping effective teachers in Valencia County classrooms.