Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year Honored – Arcadia and Pasadena Teachers Honored

Kelsey Brown and her very proud Dad, Douglas - Photo by Terry Miller

As part of the annual Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year celebration luncheon Monday in Los Angeles, a special tribute was paid to Maggie Clark, the Monrovia Kindergarten teacher who was killed in an automobile accident last May. The accident was allegedly caused by a man under the influence of a controlled substance and is now in jail.

Accepting a Los Angeles County District Teacher of The Year award posthumously for Maggie Clark was Mayflower principal Kirk McGinnis. McGinnis was flanked by County School board members and Jon Gundry who is the new interim Superintendent of schools for LACOE. A Photo of Maggie Clark was projected on the giant screen when Communications Director Frank Kwan described what happened to the beloved teacher. Kwan announced that a donation has been made to Mothers against Drunk Driving in honor of Maggie Clark’s life.
Over 80 Los Angeles County’s educators were honored Monday during the 2010-11 Teachers of the Year ceremony in Los Angeles at the Universal Hilton. Those honored were at the County District and Regional levels, respectively.
Interim Superintendent Jon R. Gundry announced the 16 County Teachers of the Year winners, which included six from the San Gabriel Valley.
“These hard-working teachers have been judged by their colleagues as exemplifying the very best in this wonderful profession of public education.”
Emcee Frank Kwan then began the process of announcing all the winners and inviting them up on stage to receive their awards and have pictures taken.
Those from San Gabriel Valley include: Kelsey Brown, Arcadia Unified SD Holly Avenue Elementary; Kimberly Opel, from Azusa Unified’s Foothill Middle; Beverly Gonzalez, Baldwin Park Unified’s Santa Fe School; Andrew King, from Hacienda La Puente Unified’s La Puente High; Tina Repetti Renzullo, kindergarten teacher from Pasadena Unified’s McKinley School; and Paul Groves, from South Pasadena Unified’s South Pasadena High.
In addition to their certificates and several gifts from sponsors, a $1,000 cash prize courtesy of the California Credit Union.

More from Arcadia Weekly