GGUSD Teacher Selected as Orange County Teacher of the Year Semi-finalist

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) is pleased to congratulate Patton Elementary School Teacher Kate Setum for being selected as one of 15 semi-finalists in the 2026 Orange County Department of Education Teacher of the Year Program. In addition to Setum, GGUSD’s Teacher of the Year nominees include Kristine Corder, teacher at Rosita Elementary School and Suzanne Russo, teacher at McGarvin Intermediate.

Setum joined the district in 2001 and has been a fifth grade teacher at Patton Elementary in the Gifted and Talented Education program since 2012. Setum is known for skillfully recognizing and nurturing each student’s unique learning style – all while creating a classroom where students demonstrate kindness and acceptance toward one another. Setum has been a GATE Demonstration Teacher since 2014 and a Grade Level Chair since 2016. She is an exemplary instructional leader who consistently shares best practices, mentors colleagues and fosters a collaborative learning environment that benefits the entire school.

Corder has taught kindergarten through third grade in GGUSD for 32 years and currently teaches first grade at Rosita Elementary School. She serves as Grade Level Chair, Student Success Team Coordinator, and OC GRIP Mentor. Corder is known for her student-centered approach and her ability to connect to students and help students of all skill levels excel.

Russo joined the district in 1989 and has spent the majority of her years as an English Teacher at McGarvin Intermediate School where she also serves as the Newspaper and Yearbook Advisor, among other leadership roles. She consistently demonstrates a profound commitment to teaching and delivers masterful lessons that yield maximum student engagement and success.

“We’re thrilled to see our incredible teachers celebrated as some of the finest in Orange County,” said Board of Education President Lan Nguyen. “Their passion and commitment to student success never ceases to amaze us. This recognition highlights the powerful difference they make every single day in the lives of their students.”

GGUSD’s three nominees for the 2026 Orange County Teacher of the Year Program will be recognized at a GGUSD Board of Education meeting as well as at the Orange County Department of Education Teacher of the Year Gala at the Disneyland Resort in the fall.