Juliana Urtubey, an Elementary Special Educator, Is the 2021 National Teacher of the Year Subscribe Copy URL Juliana Urtubey, an elementary special education teacher in Las Vegas, has been named the 2021 National Teacher of the Year. Urtubey, a National Board-certified teacher who co-teaches in prekindergarten through 5th grade special education settings at Booker Elementary School, was announced as the national awardee today on CBS This Morning. Urtubey, who was born in Colombia, is a bilingual educator and teaches many English-language learners. She also serves as an instructional strategist at her school, developing supports to meet students’ differing academic, social-emotional, and behavioral needs.