Two teachers from the same department at the same Deer Valley Unified School District high school are now both among the five finalists vying to be Arizona’s teacher of the year.

The Arizona Educational Foundation has whittled its 10 semifinalists down to a final five candidates to take top honors at its annual banquet on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Madison Center for the Arts in Phoenix.

Emmett Burnton, an AP World History teacher, and Ryan Donovan, who teaches AP U.S. History, are both teachers at Boulder Creek High School in Anthem, on the north end of Phoenix. Not only do they teach in the same history department and are among the final five hopefuls, they’re also close friends.

The five finalists, known as “Ambassadors for Excellence,” are in the running for Arizona Teacher of the Year. Along with Burnton and Donovan, the others are Tori Anderson (10th-11th grade English language arts), from Carl Hayden High School in the Phoenix Union High School District; Jodian Brown (4th grade reading, math and science) from Desert View Intermediate School of Page Unified School District; and Jennifer Spector (5th grade English language arts and social studies) from Desert View Elementary School of Washington Elementary School District.

The prize package for the Arizona Teacher of the Year includes $15,000 from the Arizona Educational Foundation and travel paid to attend several National Teacher of the Year events including a trip to the White House to meet the President and a weeklong trip to International Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.

They are also considered for an honorary doctorate from Northern Arizona University and are honored by the Arizona Diamondbacks by throwing out the first pitch at a home game.

The 2025 Arizona Teacher of the Year and four Ambassadors for Excellence also receive professional speech and media training during their year of recognition.

AEF partners provide gifts to the top 10 teachers including scholarships from the Arizona K12 Center to pursue National Board Certification, the opportunity to ride on the APS fire engine during the Fiesta Bowl Parade, a “Fiesta Bowl Experience” package including tickets and on-field recognition provided by Fiesta Bowl Charities, and a private tour of Boeing’s Apache helicopter manufacturing line.

The Arizona Educational Foundation received 625 statewide nominations for Arizona’s Teacher of the Year. Each year, AEF recognizes 15 teachers total through an open nomination process.