Sacramento County Teachers of the Year 2012 Announced

Posted September 1, 2011 [updated 10/11/11]
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Teachers from San Juan Unified and Elk Grove Unified Advance to State Competition

A French teacher from the San Juan Unified School District and a math and physics teacher from the Elk Grove Unified School District are the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year 2012, the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) announced August 31 at a county-wide teacher recognition banquet.

Nicole Naditz, who teaches French at Bella Vista High School in the San Juan District, and Robert Brewer, who teaches mathematics and physics at Florin High School in Elk Grove, were selected from among 15 Sacramento area teachers to represent the county in the California Teachers of the Year competition.

A community selection committee comprised of education professionals, including previous Teachers of the Year, interviewed each local district Teacher of the Year and selected the two finalists.

All 15 Sacramento area teachers will be honored when the Sacramento Kings host the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at Power Balance Pavilion. The Sacramento River Cats will also host a special Teacher Appreciation Night on Friday, April 27, 2012 when the River Cats host the Tucson Padres.

All of the school districts within the County of Sacramento, along with the Sacramento County Office of Education, are invited each year to participate in the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Program. Larger districts are eligible to submit two entries. Eleven local districts including the Sacramento County Office of Education participated this year. Each district's Teacher of the Year completed a comprehensive application packet, which included an extensive biography and answered questions ranging from personal philosophy of teaching to an understanding of current educational issues.

During the awards banquet, each district Teacher of the Year was introduced by either a current or former student. David W. Gordon, County Superintendent of Schools, and trustees from the Sacramento County Board of Education, presented each of the Teachers of the Year with an inscribed award.

Outgoing Teachers of the Year Shannan Brown and Kadhir Rajagopal, who also were two of the five 2011 California Teachers of the Year, announced the names of their successors. Sacramento County Board of Education President Brian Cooley presented the winners with the Elinor Lincoln Hickey Award of Merit, the highest honor bestowed by the County Board of Education. Lew Wentworth, representing the Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry, awarded a perpetual trophy to the County Teachers of the Year.

Nicole Naditz and Robert Brewer are now eligible to advance to the statewide competition, out of which five teachers will be chosen as California Teachers of the Year.

The five California Teachers of the Year are responsible for representing the teaching profession in a variety of settings and assisting their teaching colleagues in numerous ways throughout the calendar year of 2012. Their names, along with the name of the individual selected as the state's nominee to the National Teacher of the Year Program, will be announced later in the fall by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Program is presented by the Sacramento County Office of Education in partnership with Maloof Sports and Entertainment, the Sacramento River Cats, U.S. Bank, the Intel Corporation Folsom and the
Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry.

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Teachers of the Year 2012 Chosen by Sacramento-Area School Districts

	Monica Smith Center Joint Unified School District Teacher of the Year 2012 Cyril Spinelli Elementary School Special Day Class Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 1:34) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Robert Brewer Elk Grove Unified School District Teacher of the Year 2012 Florin High School Algebra 1, CP Physics, AP Physics Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 2:48) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Paul Cordero Elk Grove Unified School District Teacher of the Year 2012 Charles Mack Elementary School 6th grade, now teaching 1st grade Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 2:32) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Curtis Gaesser Folsom Cordova Unified School District Teacher of the Year 2012 Folsom High School Concert Band, Jazz Band, Marching Band, Orchestra, Choir Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 2:10) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Sean Duncan Galt Joint Union High School District Teacher of the Year 2012 Liberty Ranch High School Physics, Biology, NRG Energy Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 3:14) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Jeff Galindo Natomas Unified School District Teacher of the Year 2012 Natomas Middle School Beginning & Advanced Band, Jazz Band, Orchestra, Choir Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 4:08) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Mandi Friedel River Delta Unified School District Teacher of the Year 2012 D. H. White Elementary School 3rd grade; Reading Intervention Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 2:30) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Sarah Neuhaus Robla School District Teacher of the Year 2012 Main Avenue Elementary School 5th Grade; now Principal at Glenwood Elementary School Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 0:49) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Tiffany Ballard Sacramento City Unified School District Teacher of the Year 2012 Sam Brannan Middle School 8th Grade Language Arts/7th and 8th Grade US History/Leadership Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 3:01) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Kari Zimny Sacramento City Unified School District Teacher of the Year 2012 Albert Einstein Middle School Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Band Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 2:31) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Benjamin Diaz Sacramento County Office of Education Teacher of the Year 2012 Bannon Creek Elementary School Special Education Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 1:13) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Kalei Eskridge San Juan Unified School District Teacher of the Year 2012 Teacher on Special Assignment; Professional Learning & Innovation Department Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 2:09) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Nicole Naditz San Juan Unified School District Teacher of the Year 2012 Bella Vista High School French 1-4, AP French Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 2:03) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Kenneth Durham, Jr. Twin Rivers Unified School District Teacher of the Year 2012 Secondary Education Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 2:36) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.
	Kathleen Ventura Twin Rivers Unified School District Teacher of the Year 2012 Creative Connections Arts Academy Curriculum Support Coach, formerly 7th and 8th Grade Math Studio interview | YouTube Awards speech (runtime 2:15) Videos require QuickTime, broadband recommended.