Lisa Scott hopes her newfound spotlight will inspire students to be comfortable in their own skin.
She said it was her students who helped her accept herself after she became a quadruple amputee and returned to teaching in 2024.
"They didn't stare. They didn't treat me as if I were broken. They simply accepted me," Scott said.
Scott, an eighth-grade science teacher at Esmond Station K–8 in the Vail School District, was named 2027 Arizona Teacher of the Year on Aug. 7 by the Arizona Educational Foundation. Scott was chosen by a committee from a pool of more than 155 educators. She's been a teacher for more than 20 years.
'Different isn’t something to be ashamed of'
Scott attended the University of Arizona, where she received her degree in elementary education. She also serves on the board of directors
for Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports and as a peer mentor for amputees.
Scott became a quadruple amputee after going into septic shock. She returned to the classroom in 2024, saying that she was asking about getting back into the classroom from the hospital.
“I just kept thinking about those kids that were going to come back from winter break, and I wasn’t going to be there,” Scott said.
She said she had doubts about returning to the classroom, but her eighth-grade students being so accepting of her encouraged her to accept herself, she said.
Scott said she was able to succeed with the help of Esmond Station K-8 Principal Lainie Kitzmiller and Vail School District Superintendent John Carruth. The two encouraged Scott to come back to campus and made sure she had all the accommodations she needed, she said.
Carruth nominated Scott for the award, which receives hundreds of nominations every year.
“Hearing that my superintendent wanted to nominate me was already a huge compliment,” Scott said.
In an interview, Scott said she was initially drawn to education because of the opportunity to help children.
“I felt like unless I was doing something that was helping people, and that if I wasn’t making somebody else’s day maybe a little bit better, then it wasn’t fulfilling to me and I didn’t feel like I had that purpose,” Scott said.
Scott said she was excited but overwhelmed to be awarded Teacher of the Year. She also said she’s looking forward to continuing to spread awareness as to how important public education is.
“It’s my hope that through my differences, students can see that being different isn’t something to be ashamed of,” Scott said.
Scott will go on to compete for National Teacher of the Year
Arizona Educational Foundation President Kim Graham and Gov. Katie Hobbs presented Scott with the award.
“Every single time that I’ve had the chance to visit one of our public schools, I’ve been amazed not only by the clear dedication of our educators, but also the warmth and kindness that you all bring to work every single day,” Hobbs said.
The Arizona Teacher of the Year goes on to compete for 2027 National Teacher of the Year, which is administered by the Council of Chief State School Officers. An Arizona teacher last won the national recognition in 1966. The Arizona Teacher of the Year also wins $15,000 in cash and a number of other prizes, including a scholarship to pursue National Board Certification.
The other semifinalists were Joy Bruner, Flagstaff Unified School District; Jennifer Fox, Scottsdale Unified School District; Kalleanah Smith, Sahuarita Unified School District; Yolanda Serbeniuk, Sahuarita Unified School District; and Jeron Velasco, Dishchii'bikoh Community School District.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Students helped Arizona Teacher of the Year accept her new reality
