Teaching, culture boost San Diego schools in running for 2026 America’s Best Schools award

Any success that Dewey Elementary School and Garfield Elementary School have achieved can be credited to the commitment of their teaching staff, according to their principals.

“The dedication of the teachers is why the kids are performing, and why people don’t really want to leave the school,” said Dewey Elementary Principal Tanya McMillan. 

Garfield Elementary Principal Mechale Murphy calls it having “the same heart about why you exist and what you’re here to do.”

These two schools – alongside Nye Elementary in Valencia Park and Sequoia Elementary in Clairemont – are four of the 17 schools nationwide selected by the National Center for Urban School Transformation as finalists for the 2026 America’s Best Schools award.

The award is presented annually to the “the nation’s highest performing schools,” as determined by the center’s criteria. 

Some standards that schools must meet include: “high rates of academic achievement” for every racial/ethnic group, attendance rates of 92% or more for the past two academic years and low rates of suspension and teacher absences. Judges also are looking for “engaging and effective instruction” and “a positive school culture,” along with involvement in extracurricular activities.

“We want to spend our time and energy finding, spotlighting, learning from and helping share the best practices, especially from schools who are bringing that extra level of care, love and empathy – specifically for students who perhaps have the most challenging circumstances,” said Gregory Ottinger, the executive director for NCUST. 

He said that the four San Diego schools show a “high level of continuity,” where teachers and administration are aligned to meet education standards, while also showing adaptability in “coaching strategies” suited to grade-level, specific classrooms or individual students.  

“There’s certain layers of support that are localized, but, from a systemic perspective, we are seeing the same high expectations, the same relationships, the same kids saying, ‘We feel like every adult cares about us at this school.’”

Winners will be announced in May, following visits to each nominated school. Here’s a look at two of the San Diego finalists for the America’s Best Schools award.

Dewey Elementary 

Dewey Elementary’s creative approach shows students that learning can take place both inside and outside of a classroom. 

For four to eight weeks each school year, students travel by bus to nearby Liberty Station for the Arts District’s performing or visual art classes – ranging from watercolor to ballet to martial arts. 

“I think it allows my kids the opportunity to show their genius,” McMillan said. “If you’re not good at math, you might be good at dancing. If you’re not good at reading, you might be great at martial arts.”

This program is done in collaboration with the Liberty School Foundation, with teachers and art class instructors weaving together art and education by creating curricula adjacent to grade level standards. 

For example, if first-grade students take classes at Malashock Dance, they also integrate first-grade math standards, such as by counting steps. 

“It kind of unlocks everything for kids, like that school doesn’t just have to be reading, writing, math,” McMillan said.

Dewey Elementary is a Title I school, meaning that a large demographic of students come from low-income families. According to McMillan, 85% of students are “military dependent,” often only staying at the school for two to three years, while 67% of students also participate in free or reduced lunch programs. 

With a majority of students coming from military families, students transfer at all times of the year. The school provides various services for students who may need additional support, such as mental health care, a bi-monthly food distribution program and “tier two reading interventions,” which offers students supplementary instruction from specialists.

McMillan has been the principal at Dewey Elementary for the past 17 years, but she said that some of her teachers have been there even longer. She described the relationship between school faculty as a “strong, tight-knit work family.” 

“I definitely have their back, they have mine, and we’re in it together,” she said. “And, it helps kids succeed.”

Garfield Elementary School 

Murphy brought 30 years of experience in education to Garfield Elementary in North Park when she took over as principal five years ago. She said that she and the teaching staff are “vision aligned,” which sets the foundation for educational success among students.

This is not the first time that Garfield Elementary has been recognized for academic excellence. It was named a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education, which recognizes “schools whose students achieve at very high levels” or “schools making significant progress in closing achievement gaps among different groups of students.”

One way the school has approached providing equal opportunities for students is through their “inclusion model” for instruction, which means that some English learners and special education students are integrated into general education classrooms. This model aims to “maximize the opportunity for both academic and social development,” according to the school’s website. 

“Inclusion, in my opinion, is probably the hardest work that we do in education,” Murphy said. “Not just from a special-ed point of view, but also around culture.”

Murphy also introduced a curriculum known as Database Questions (DBQ), which she said “is designed to increase the number of children of color who participate in honors and advanced placements in middle school and high school” by introducing them to concepts such as “reading through multiple sources” and “culminating writing.”

Teachers at Garfield Elementary work together, regardless of grade level, to track student progress and create lesson plans that suit student needs.

Murphy explained that this “cross-grade accountability” accommodates students to fit their learning pace and styles, so that students obtain the knowledge required as they advance grade levels.

“Once you open the door, break down the walls of the classroom and start allowing teachers to see what’s happening in other classrooms, you create a professional learning community where everybody feels responsible for results.”