Red Mountain High School ASL teacher in the running for 'America's Favorite Teacher'

An American Sign Language teacher at Red Mountain High School in Mesa is in the running to be named "America's Favorite Teacher" in an online competition.

During her seven years teaching, Kristin Retay created two American Sign Language programs "from the ground up," according to a blurb on the competition's website. She worked in the Queen Creek Unified School District before joining Mesa Public Schools, according to her LinkedIn profile.

"I devised a curriculum that not only grabbed students' interest but also saw the program's popularity soar," Retay said on the contest site.

The prize includes $25,000, a trip to Hawaii and a feature in Reader's Digest. The public can vote for Retay in the semi-finals until May 23 at americasfavteacher.org.

Reach the reporter at mparrish@arizonarepublic.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mesa teacher in the running for 'America's Favorite Teacher'