Dalton, GA — Dalton Public Schools is proud to announce that Kapua Torres has been named Westwood School’s 2024–2025 Teacher of the Year.
Torres serves as the Exceptional Student Services (ESS) Specially Designed Class teacher for grades K–2 at Westwood. She brings more than 16 years of experience in education to her role and has served Dalton Public Schools as a paraprofessional, classroom teacher, administrator, and instructional leader. Torres returned to the classroom in 2023 and currently teaches some of the district’s youngest learners with significant disabilities.
“I do not see myself as an outstanding teacher,” Torres wrote in her application. “I see myself as someone that focuses on what matters and loves what I do. I always say and stand by my belief that when I lose focus of what truly matters (the students that I teach), that is when I need to retire or find a new career.”
During her time at Westwood, Torres has played a key role in establishing and growing the school’s K–2 Specially Designed Class. Under her leadership, the program has focused on building acceptance, communication, and meaningful peer relationships for students with disabilities. Torres helped launch a fifth-grade Buddy Program that allows student leaders to mentor and support her class, strengthening inclusion across the school community.
“As a special education teacher, I have always had a personal goal of creating acceptance for the children that I serve and love,” Torres shared. “I work with students that are often overlooked, but I see them and I love them and I do all that I can so that others can see this too.”
In addition to her work at Westwood, Torres has contributed to the district through leadership roles, mentoring new teachers, and serving as a district mindset trainer. She is also actively involved in athletics and community service, including coaching middle school wrestling and promoting autism awareness initiatives at her school.
Torres says her greatest rewards come from seeing the long-term impact of her work. “My rewards in teaching are not physical rewards, but the growth that I see in my students,” she wrote. “For them to remember my name, 10+ years later, tells me that I made an impact on their life in some way.”
Dalton Public Schools congratulates Kapua Torres on this well-deserved honor and thanks her for her dedication to students, families, and the Westwood community.