‘You make me love my job’: CCSD music teacher honored as Nevada’s top teacher

A Clark County School District elementary school teacher was surprised with a prestigious statewide award on Wednesday.

Ali Jun, the music teacher at Tyrone Thompson Elementary School in southwest Las Vegas, was named the 2026 Nevada State Teacher of the Year. The annual award is given to one educator who gets to partake in a yearlong professional development experience and serve as an ambassador for teachers across the state.

Jun has been a music teacher for 21 years, beginning in Long Island, New York, before moving to Las Vegas in 2006. She helped establish music programs at three elementary schools in the valley, including Thompson Elementary, where she leads two choirs, produces musicals and helps kids learn singing, dancing and instruments. In 2021, Jun won the Milken Educator Award, a national honor for early-to-mid career educators.

The Teacher of the Year award ceremony was a surprise to Jun, students and staff at Thompson Elementary. Everyone gathered in the school’s courtyard for what was billed as an assembly to kick off a fun run while the principal and assistant principal danced to music while wearing neon tracksuits.

When the school’s leaders told everyone they were instead gathered for an award ceremony, they opened a door to bring out a group including Gov. Joe Lombardo, Superintendent Jhone Ebert, school board trustees and Jun’s family.

Thompson principal Robert Hinchliffe announced Jun as the winner of the Teacher of the Year award, sparking confetti cannon blasts and causing students start chanting Jun’s name. She walked to the stage, dancing in celebration, to accept her award.

“You know I love you so, so much,” Jun told students at the podium. “I laugh here every single day. You guys make me smile every day, you make me love my job, you make me go the extra mile.”

Lombardo highlighted her passion for music education and her recognition of the difficulties kids face today, as he congratulated her for her work.

“With your exemplary and effective teaching methods and proven leadership in representing your fellow educators, I have no doubt you will succeed as the 2026 Nevada State Teacher of the Year,” Lombardo said.

Going ‘above and beyond for kids’

Those who know Jun described her as a dedicated educator and an essential member of the Thompson Elementary community.

Steve Canavero, Nevada’s interim superintendent of public instruction, picked Jun from a list of five finalists. He said her passion for teaching “jumped off the page” and made her stand out among other applicants.

The first time she met Jun, Ebert said the teacher was wearing a dress decorated with music symbols. She said the moment was an example of how Jun always positively represents her profession.

“What is so wonderful about Mrs. Jun is that she represents not only herself as being amazing, but all of the other teachers and staff here,” Ebert said. “Ali, I am so inspired by you each and every day … and I’m gonna take that with me and keep lifting up this entire place.”

Hinchliffe said the relationships Jun develops with the school’s over 900 students have made her a great fit for the school and the award.

“She already has the majority of the kids memorized after three weeks of school. She’s out front greeting them. She just puts a smile on their face every morning when they come in the door,” Hinchliffe said. “She’s just the person that’s willing to go above and beyond for kids and make sure that they enjoy school.”

Advocacy priorities

Inside Jun’s colorful classroom, posters honoring musicians like David Bowie, Whitney Houston and Jay-Z line the walls. Pictures of album covers from old classics and new hits adorn her classroom piano, and near her desk sits a rack of silly sunglasses she wears to greet students in the mornings.

Jun said she views music education as a way to teach kids how to work as a team and express their emotions while also serving as an introduction to other cultures. “Even if they’re not going to be a musician when they grow up, to have music in their lives forever, I think, is really special,” she said.

As an advocate for teachers, Jun said she wants to prioritize getting increased funding to the school district, improving teacher retention rates, and inspiring educators to continue following their love for the profession.

“My legacy is my classroom, but I also am driven to do something even more and even bigger than the classroom and for my colleagues and for the state of Nevada,” Jun said.

Contact Spencer Levering at slevering@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0253.