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LACOE Announces Top Sixteen Teachers in L.A.
Arcadia Weekly Sep 23, 2015
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The Los Angeles County Office of Education announced on Friday the 16 County Teachers of the Year, who represent the best among the 72,000 K-12 educators of our county.
The top 16 were presented by LACOE Superintendent Arturo Delgado on Sept. 18 at the Hilton Universal City as outstanding educators who have served with praiseworthy distinction. Judged as the county’s top public school teachers for this academic year, they will serve as standard-bearers for the teaching profession countywide.
They were selected by judging panels from a contestant field of 75 district-level teachers of the year. The top 16 are comprised of 14 women and two men. They represent the profession’s elite from a total pool of 72,000 teachers countywide.
The competition was organized by the Los Angeles County Office of Education and presented in partnership with California Credit Union and other sponsors. The teachers received $1,000 honorariums during the ceremony.
Now in its 34th year, the L.A. County TOY competition is the largest in the state and is part of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honors contest for school teachers. The number of county winners — 16 — is determined by program rules based on the total number of teachers in the county.
The county winners automatically advance, with other county titlists from around the state, to the California Teachers of the Year competition this fall. The state is scheduled to announce its five (5) co-winners in November. But only one (1) of those state co-winners will be chosen to represent California in the National Teacher of the Year contest next spring.
The L.A. County competition called for essays, lesson plans, resumes, letters of reference and interviews. At all levels, TOY contests are designed to focus public attention on teaching excellence, and to honor educators who have demonstrated exemplary dedication, compelling classroom practices, positive accomplishments and professional commitment.
California Department of Education Teacher of the year Website:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/ct/
The 2015-16 Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year
-Diane Danoff, East Whittier City School District, Scott Avenue Elementary School—Fifth Grade. City of Residence: Whittier. Years Teaching: 15.
Diane considers her classroom her students’ home away from home as well as hers. She wants her fifth-graders to feel safe to explore, make mistakes and be themselves. “Through hard work and collaboration,” she says, “we help each other succeed.”
-Courtney Venema, Long Beach Unified School District, Longfellow Elementary School—Fourth Grade/GATE. City of Residence: Long Beach. Years Teaching: 16
Courtney cherishes thank-you cards and emails from parents, especially one from a grateful mother who wrote to say how much her shy, quiet son loved coming to school and wouldn’t stop talking about everything he was learning in her fourth-grade class.
-Zoila Gallegos, Los Angeles County Office of Education, Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall School—Literacy Specialist. City of Residence: La Palma. Years Teaching: 23
A statement by Frederick Douglass, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free,” drives Zoila’s mission as a literacy specialist. At Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall School she works each day to inspire troubled youth to strive toward a better future.
-Martha Garibay, Los Angeles Unified School District, Fifty-Second Street Elementary School—First Grade. City of Residence: Long Beach. Years Teaching: 14.
Before she can think about fixing the achievement gap of any of her first-graders, Martha feels she must first try to mend their hearts. She tries to ensure that every one of her students feels validated and loved from the outset of every school day.
-Daniel Jocz, Los Angeles Unified School District, Downtown Magnets High School—Social Studies. City of Residence: Burbank. Years Teaching: 11
Although U.S. History is his official subject, Daniel also teaches his high-schoolers Life Skills, Science, Debate, Writing, Filmmaking, Business and Theater. His use of popular culture has allowed him to create a curriculum that is not only rigorous but relevant.
-Maria Medina-Perez, Los Angeles Unified School District, South Gate Senior High School—Algebra. City of Residence: Pico Rivera. Years Teaching: 14.
Maria helps her algebra students understand that mistakes are part of the learning process. This helps create a safe environment where they are willing to take risks. She has also learned that her students can perform at high levels no matter what their history is.
-May-Lynn Geronimo Montano, Los Angeles Unified School District, Miramonte Elementary School—Fourth Grade. City of Residence: Lakewood. Years Teaching: 17.
When students enter May-Lynn’s fourth-grade classroom, they are part of a team, and she is the coach. She doesn’t pretend to know all the answers, but she is “there for them.” Her goal is to give students the strategies and skills to push their own thinking.
-Claudine Phillilps, Los Angeles Unified School District, Roscomare Road Elementary School—Second Grade. City of Residence: Sherman Oaks. Years Teaching: 18.
In her 18 years of teaching, Claudine has learned that when students are willing to take risks, they move beyond what they know is possible “and into the realm of what can be.” But to take such risks they need to develop a high level of trust in their teachers.
-Carol Sun, Los Angeles Unified School District, Harvard Elementary School—Resource Specialist. City of Residence: Playa Vista. Years Teaching: 9.
Carol’s resource classroom is a place for special needs students to work at their own pace, to receive individualized support, to hear encouragement from their peers and from her, and to learn that effort and perseverance can equate to success—in school and in life.
-Chanelle Thomas, Los Angeles Unified School District, Denker Avenue Elementary School—Fourth Grade. City of Residence: Carson. Years Teaching: 20.
A Dr. Seuss rhyme explains for Chanelle why and how she teaches: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s Not.” She works to discover her students’ interests and talents, and uses these to engage them in learning.
-Carlee-Anne Moyer, Los Nietos School District, Los Nietos Middle School—Special Education. City of Residence: Downey. Years Teaching: 8.
After rearranging her special education seventh-grade classroom to accommodate a new wheelchair student, Carlee learned from the student’s mother that he was excited to come to school each day because the environment was so welcoming.
-Michael Hernandez, Manhattan Beach Unified School District, Mira Costa High School—Broadcast Journalism/Cinematic Arts. City of Residence: Los Angeles. Years Teaching: 16.
Michael’s high school media arts lab is a “cacophony of creativity and critical thinking.” Rather than rows of desks headed by a teacher podium, the space is organized by teams and stages of production. The chaos is deceptive because every student is on task.
-Cynthia Hinton, Pomona Unified School District, Pomona High School—English Literature.
City of Residence: La Verne. Years Teaching: 41.
Cynthia decorates her English Lit classroom with an array of culture and diversity—of people, places and time periods. With expertise honed over four decades in the classroom, she strives to empower and inspire struggling students to reach for excellence.
-Carol Ann Grossi, Torrance Unified School District, Towers Elementary School—Fifth Grade. City of Residence: Rolling Hills Estates. Years Teaching: 13.
A recent highlight for Carol Ann and her fifth-graders was a visit from two representatives of the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute. Her students learned about life in Colonial times, how to write a letter with quill pens and how to play Colonial games.
-Gail Gibson, West Covina Unified School District, Cameron Elementary School—Kindergarten. City of Residence: San Dimas. Years Teaching: 23.
Even after 23 years in the classroom, Gail is constantly on the lookout for ways to improve her practice as a kindergarten teacher. This means welcoming innovations in education and volunteering for professional development, along with student-enrichment opportunities.
-Julie Huffman, William S. Hart Union High School District, Golden Valley High School—Chemistry/AP Chemistry. City of Residence: Santa Clarita. Years Teaching: 13
Julie is especially proud of coordinating a program for her high school that has resulted in dramatically higher than predicted graduation rates for at-risk students. Her rewards include hugs from graduating seniors and tearful embraces from grateful parents.
