From her childhood days of teaching Cabbage Patch Kids to more than two decades of inspiring students in English and theatre at Marco Antonio Firebaugh High School, Kathleen Thomas Butiu has always been driven by a love for education. Lynwood Unified School District named Thomas Butiu its 2024-25 Teacher of the Year on May 8, recognizing her exceptional teaching, community involvement and dedication to student-centered learning.
“It feels incredible to be honored during Teacher Appreciation Week,” Thomas Butiu said. “To feel all this hard work not only impacted the students, their families and the community, but to also receive this recognition is amazing.”
Thomas Butiu was completing her final year at Walden University for a master’s in Adolescent Literacy and Technology when she began her teaching career at Firebaugh High School during its second year of operation — and she’s been there ever since.
During her interview for an internship, she delivered a sample lesson to a Firebaugh freshman class, asking: “If you could be an animal, what animal would you be?” The students’ enthusiastic response surprised her and affirmed her passion for teaching, setting the foundation for her future at Firebaugh.
“I walked out of that sample lesson thinking, ‘Wow, this is something I can really do,’” Thomas Butiu said. “That was the moment I felt like, this is it – the classroom is where I belong.”
Originally from the Chicagoland area, she attended the University of Colorado Boulder, North Park University and Cal State Long Beach, where she earned a bachelor’s in creative writing and her single-subject teaching credential in English. While she first imagined herself becoming a novelist, she realized her true passion was working directly with people.
“I didn’t want to write alone. I thrive on human connection and relationships,” she said. “The classroom was the ideal place for me to continue doing what I loved to do.”
In addition to teaching English across all grade levels and leading the International Baccalaureate (IB) English program, Thomas Butiu also nurtures her students’ creativity as an IB Theatre teacher. For the past 15 years, she has led the Young Actors Guild, a student-centered club that produces annual stage productions. This spring, the Guild performed “Mean Girls Jr.” for local sixth graders, followed by a student-led discussion exploring themes of self-image and friendship.
Thomas Butiu strives to inspire her students with the same message passed down from her own theatre teacher: “Shoot for the moon. If you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
Beyond the classroom and stage, Thomas Butiu helps students develop their green thumbs after launching the Evergreen Gardening Club. With the help of more than 200 Firebaugh students, the club and Thomas Butiu transformed an unused lot into a thriving 23-bed vegetable garden, butterfly habitat and orchard. Supported by more than $20,000 in grants and donations, the student-led urban farm was officially opened with an Earth Day ribbon-cutting celebration.
“Lynwood Unified proudly honors Kathleen not only for her excellence in teaching, but for creating spaces both in the classroom and the community, where students are empowered to grow, lead and thrive,” Superintendent Gudiel R. Crosthwaite, Ph.D. said. “She exemplifies the dedication of educators across our District who live out our mission every day to ensure each student receives a quality education that prepares them for college, career and life.”