Mother, Daughter Named Newport-Mesa Unified 2022 Teachers Of The Year

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — Two educators will be honored Wednesday at the Newport-Mesa Schools Foundation's awards banquet as the 2022 Teachers of the Year.

Amy Lewis and Christine Tipton were named Teachers of the Year because of their "dedication to the craft of teaching," Sarah Auwarter, president of the Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers, said. The women are mother and daughter, respectively.

"Their commitment to the profession is inspiring and truly reflective of the amazing teachers we have throughout our district," Auwarter said.

Lewis, a first-grade teacher at Sonora Elementary School, has been a teacher with Newport-Mesa Unified for more than 20 years and attended NMUSD schools, district officials said.

"I consider myself fortunate to have taught alongside the teacher who inspired me — my second-grade teacher Mrs. Mary Ferryman," Lewis said. "I am excited that both my daughter Christine and I were selected as Teachers of the Year for 2022.

Tipton has been with Newport-Mesa Unified since 2017 and teaches science at California and Newport Coast elementary schools. She entered teaching after being inspired by her mother and her grandparents, who also taught for Newport-Mesa Unified, the district said.

"Some of my fondest memories are volunteering in my grandmother's classroom on Friday afternoons," Tipton said. "I strive to bring the same sense of enthusiasm and community to my classroom each day and am grateful for this recognition."