Palm Desert Charter Middle School Teacher is First 2027 Riverside County Teacher of the Year

PALM DESERT – The middle school students in Nan Davis-Kirchhevel’s classroom at Palm Desert Charter Middle School in the Desert Sands Unified School District are accustomed to guest speakers visiting their classroom as part of their teacher’s focus on experiential learning.

On Thursday, May 21, none of them expected more than a dozen educators, media members, and colleagues led by Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez, to step into their classroom and surprise Ms. Davis with the news that she is the first 2027 Riverside County Teacher of the Year.

“Ms. Davis makes her classroom come alive with experiential learning through guest speakers that bring history and humanities to life,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez. “She incorporates diverse literature and perspectives into her curriculum that cultivate a learning environment where students see themselves reflected in the stories that they read.”

“I love this amazing school, and I am so excited to represent each of you, the school, this district, and all the wonderful people that make this happen,” Nan said in front of her classroom full of students and well-wishers immediately following the surprise announcement.

Three more 2027 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 2027 California Teacher of the Year competition and be honored at the 2027 Celebrating Educators Luncheon at the Riverside Convention Center on May 4, 2027.

About Nanette Davis-Kirchhevel

Nanette (Nan) Davis-Kirchhevel has been teaching 8th-grade humanities at Palm Desert Charter Middle School since 2000 and sees each day as an opportunity to teach students how to do their personal best, try something new, and be kind.

Although Nan teaches Humanities each day, her hope is that her students learn something far greater than proper English, writing, reading, social studies, and speaking skills. Her goal is for them to learn empathy, kindness, and compassion from the stories they read, the places they visit, and the people they meet.

Every year, Nan connects students to history by inviting Holocaust survivors into her 8th-grade classroom. She also organizes experiential learning trips and welcomes best-selling authors, government officials, legal professionals, and community leaders to bring to life the saying written on her wall: “People make choices, and choices make history.”

Since 2020, Nan has also served as a mentor for new teachers through the Riverside County Office of Education’s Center for Teacher Innovation (CTI) induction program. Her colleagues describe her classroom as “reflecting pedagogical intentionality, rigorous instruction, and a commitment to equity that ensures every student grows as a reader, writer, and thinker.”

Nan earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Northern State University in South Dakota, a supplemental degree in English from University of California, Riverside, and her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Chapman University. She is a resident of Palm Desert.

Recent Riverside County teachers selected as California Teachers of the Year include:

• 2025 – Robert (Bob) Mauger, Corona High School, Corona-Norco USD
• 2022 – Nichi Aviña, Cielo Vista Charter School, Palm Springs USD
• 2021 – Keisa Brown, University Heights Middle School, Riverside USD, and Allison Cyr, Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
• 2020 – Brenda Chavez-Barreras, Good Hope Elementary School, Perris ESD
• 2019 – Dr. Angel Mejico, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
• 2018 – Dr. Brian McDaniel, Painted Hills Middle School, Palm Springs USD
• 2017 – Shaun Bunn, Ethan A. Chase Middle School, Romoland School District
• 2016 – Michelle Cherland, Carrillo Ranch Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
• 2014 – Jessica Pack, James Workman Middle School, Palm Springs USD

The Riverside County Teachers of the Year are selected from nearly 20,000 educators in the county. The rigorous application process requires candidates to spend time reflecting on, and carefully defining, their teaching philosophy. The county teachers of the year are selected on the basis of nominations by teachers, principals, and school district administrators throughout the county. 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.