Temecula Valley High School Teacher Gets Big Surprise, Honor

TEMECULA, CA ? A teacher at Temecula Valley High School has been named a 2026 Riverside County Teacher of the Year.

Ziba Mayar, who teaches Advanced Placement biology and forensics at TVHS, received the honor Tuesday in front of colleagues and students.

"Cheerleaders, a choir, the marching band, and students in lab coats and goggles, were part of the parade of students and educators" who marched through the school's quad to Mayar's classroom, where Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez, announced the news to her surprise, according to the Riverside County Office of Education.

Mayar is the second Riverside County Teacher of the Year to be named for 2026. Last week, San Jacinto Unified School District preschool teacher, Anthony Segura, was named as the first. Two more 2026 Riverside County Teachers of the Year will be revealed in upcoming surprise visits. Once named, all four teachers of the year will represent Riverside County in the 2026 California Teacher of the Year competition.

Dr. Gomez praised Mayar.

"Mrs. Mayar is a transformative science teacher," he said. "She blends rigor, relevance, and relationships to ensure that every student thrives in her classroom and beyond. She is an educator who not only teaches content but transforms lives through commitment, creativity, and community."

A Murrieta resident, Mayar is now in her 25th year of teaching. Upon receiving her award Tuesday, she reflected on her colleagues and students.

"It's a privilege to work in this district and learn and teach alongside thousands of students," she said. "I'm so fortunate to work in a district where I constantly interact with other amazing educators."

Immediately following the surprise announcement in which about 200 people, mostly students, gathered outside of Mayar's classroom to cheer her on, she said, "We're here every day for you. We show up for you, and we love it. I absolutely love it. This is an honor."

In addition to her regular teaching responsibilities, Mayar has served as an induction coach for new teachers, a department lead, a teacher on special assignment, and an advisor to multiple clubs on campus.

In a mini bio provided by the Riverside County Office of Education, Mayar doesn?t describe teaching simply as her profession, but as "a craft, a joy, and a calling with a very deep sense of purpose."

The bio continues, "Creative collaborations with cross-disciplinary colleagues on campus, criminal justice professionals, and higher education partners, provide unique opportunities for her students to connect learning to real-world science applications and problem-solving.

"Students in her science and forensics classes at Temecula Valley High School take decomposition study trips to local farms, partner with automotive and physics teachers for car crash crime scene investigations, and connect with ceramics and anatomy teachers for a unit on facial reconstruction investigations.

"Ziba has invited experts from Mt. San Jacinto College and University of California, Riverside, to deliver training sessions on topics ranging from biotechnology to entomology.

"Ziba grew up as a second language learner and immigrant who struggled to see educators like herself represented in her own educational journey. Her experiences are the foundation for her philosophy that learning is only meaningful when students have a sense of identity and belonging in their classrooms and on their campuses."

The Riverside County Teachers of the Year are selected from nearly 20,000 educators in the county and are based on nominations by teachers, principals, and school district administrators.

Applications are then submitted to the Riverside County Office of Education, where a selection committee reviews the applications of each district candidate and selects semi-finalists.

The selection committee then conducts interviews and site visits to select the final four candidates before the county superintendent announces the Riverside County Teachers of the Year.