Dr. Maureen Spranza chosen for IAOTP top elementary music teacher honor

By AI, Created 10:48 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Dr. Maureen Spranza has been selected as IAOTP’s Top Elementary School Music Teacher for 2026 and will be recognized at the group’s annual awards gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York in December. The honor highlights her 35-year teaching career, technology leadership, and work with more than 13,000 students.

Why it matters: - IAOTP’s recognition puts a national spotlight on elementary music education and on Spranza’s long record in California schools. - The award also underscores the growing value of teachers who combine classroom instruction, student support, and technology integration. - Spranza’s career has reached more than 13,000 students, giving the honor a broad real-world footprint.

What happened: - Dr. Maureen Spranza was selected as Top Elementary School Music Teacher for 2026 by the International Association of Top Professionals. - IAOTP will honor Spranza at its annual awards gala in New York City at the Plaza Hotel in December. - Spranza works as an elementary school vocal music teacher in the San Leandro Unified School District in California. - The recognition covers her leadership, dedication, and commitment to education.

The details: - Spranza has more than 35 years of experience as a music educator. - She has taught an estimated 13,000 students over her career. - Her classroom focuses on rhythm, pitch, movement, formal notation, and play-based learning. - Students sing and play recorders, glockenspiels, xylophones, and percussion instruments. - Spranza creates a classroom environment designed to feel joyful, safe, and nurturing. - She has also taught special education students and gifted students. - At the Alameda County Office of Education, Spranza earned certification in Gifted and Talented Education with a focus on differentiated instruction. - Her previous teaching posts include 18 years in San Lorenzo Unified School District and five years in Catholic schools in the Oakland Diocese. - Spranza represented Alameda County in the CTAP Technology Leadership Academy. - She co-led staff development on technology integration for grades 4–8. - Her past work includes fellowships with Ignite Education, technology roles at Applied Materials and Synopsys, and participation at the Krause Center for Innovation at Foothill College. - She ran two music technology computer labs at the high school level. - Spranza contributed six chapters to Technology Integration in the Elementary Music Classroom. - Her education includes a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Composition and Arranging from Berklee College of Music. - She also studied jazz at California Institute of the Arts. - Spranza earned a Master of Fine Arts in Electronic Music and Recording Media from Mills College. - She completed a Single Subject Clear Teaching Credential from Chapman University. - She earned a PhD in Education from Capella University in 2013. - Her dissertation examined how teachers incorporate intuition into music teaching. - That research informed her planned book on the intuitive domain in educational objectives. - She coauthored work on the Self-Assembly Model of Instructional Design, a framework centered on learner autonomy and natural knowledge construction. - Spranza spent 18 years as a private music teacher, and her students performed at Carnegie Hall. - She served 10 years on the Board of Directors for the Alameda County Branch of the Music Teachers’ Association and maintained the group’s website. - She also worked with the Hester Savage Fund for Equity in Classical Music, which supports students facing financial, transportation, and opportunity barriers. - Outside education, Spranza is an avant-garde composer and saxophonist. - Her compositions won first and second place in the MTAC Composers Today State Contest. - She has received honors in film and media festivals. - Spranza creates illuminated mixed-media artwork using LEDs, mesh tubing, and painted canvases. - Her work has appeared in galleries in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. - She has also worked as an actor and model in television productions and national advertising campaigns. - Spranza is a single mother of two daughters and earned her PhD while raising them. - She studies genealogy and includes music from other cultures in her teaching. - She is a Catholic and sings with her church choir. - Spranza is a Certified HeartMath Practitioner with clinical certification in stress, anxiety, and self-regulation. - She uses emWave® and Inner Balance™ tools to help students manage stress and build emotional resilience. - Her earlier honors include a 2015 Grammy Music Educator Award nomination, the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020, Steinway & Sons Top Piano Teacher honors in 2021 and 2023, the Top Private Music Teacher Award in 2024, and the Empowered Woman Award in 2025.

Between the lines: - The award reflects a broader trend toward honoring educators who blend arts instruction with social-emotional learning and technology skills. - Spranza’s profile spans classroom teaching, research, composition, and performance, which may have strengthened her nomination. - IAOTP’s invitation-only model suggests the honor is intended to signal selectivity and professional status.

What’s next: - Spranza will receive the award on stage at the Plaza Hotel in December. - IAOTP says honorees are invited to the gala for a night recognizing their achievements. - Spranza also continues to develop her planned book and share more information about her intuition-based education work through her websites.