Valley Vista High School Teacher Wins ACEE Teacher of the Year Award

Valley Vista High School educator Mitchell Pinda was named the 2026 Economic Education Teacher of the Year by the Arizona Council on Economic Education (ACEE) at a ceremony on October 17, 2026. The award recognizes teachers for their accomplishments in student engagement and professional development.

Mr. Pinda, who has taught in Dysart Schools for eight years, received the honor after completing multiple trainings, using ACEE resources to engage students, and participating in an interview process in which he shared his experiences in the classroom.

One such ACEE resource Pinda used to engage students is the Financial Fitness in Action challenge. In the Financial Fitness challenge, students participate in a simulation activity where they must balance finances while purchasing things like a home, car, entertainment package, health insurance, and facing life’s other unexpected expenses. Throughout the challenge, students work closely with community volunteers with professional backgrounds in finance and insurance.

“They are excited about talking to these people,” Pinda said. “They find people who are just like them or grew up in the same neighborhood as they did because there are some people from Surprise, but there's everybody from all walks of life. We had a Valley Vista High School graduate [at] one of the tables this year.”

Mr. Pinda says that it’s important for students to learn economics because it provides them with valuable life skills and knowledge. Topics and problems that may come up in an economics assignment might present themselves outside of the classroom, like when applying for a credit card or renting an apartment.

“This is the class that gets to show them that and teach them the strategies to be successful financially after they leave here,” Pinda said. “And that's the most important part to me.”

ACEE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to economic and financial literacy and workforce development in Arizona. They prepare teachers in teaching and students in learning personal finance, economics, and career readiness skills.