QuickTake:

A parent nominated Sally Golden for her dedication and focus on her students’ needs. She also will be in the running now for Oregon Teacher of the Year.

Special education teacher Sally Golden of Springfield Public Schools won the Lane regional award in the 2025-26 Oregon Teacher of the Year contest.

A parent of one of Golden’s students nominated her for her attentiveness to her students’ needs and her advocacy for her students in the classroom and community. 

The Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Lottery’s annual competition names 16 educators from across the state as regional winners. These teachers win $1,000 each and are entered into a contest for the Oregon Teacher of the Year award. The program “recognizes and honors teacher excellence,” according to a press release.

Golden works in Springfield Public School’s Transition Services. She helps students with special needs transition from middle to high school and from high school to adult living.

“Every single one of us can remember a teacher who had an impact in our lives,” said Todd Hamilton, superintendent for Springfield Public Schools in a statement about Golden. “The care, the compassion that Sally brings to this program every day is so meaningful to these students.”

Students, colleagues, administrators, friends or family members can nominate educators for the Oregon Teacher of the Year program. The statewide winner gets a $10,000 prize and an extra $5,000 for their school, funded by the Oregon Lottery.

The Oregon Lottery gives 4.2% of its revenue to programs including public schools every year.

Lilly is a graduate of Indiana University and has worked as a journalist at the Indianapolis Star and in Burlington, Vermont, as well as working as a foreign language teacher in France. She covers education and children's issues for Lookout Eugene-Springfield.