The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is one of 58 county offices located throughout the state. Approximately 650 regular and more than 950 temporary and substitute SCOE staff work year-round providing services that complement and supplement those offered by public school districts in Sacramento County.
Classified Employee of the Month
Carolyn Foster, a Database Designer/Information Systems Analyst, was nominated by Andrea Willis, Coordinator of Technology Projects, for her contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Foster, who works in SCOE's Internet and Media Services Department located at the David P. Meaney Education Center, builds and maintains complex online database systems that enable educational and non-profit organizations to utilize technology to accomplish their educational and humanitarian goals. She has built many complex systems for SCOE and other education clients, including BTSA (Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment), CNTS (Computer, Network and Telecommunication Support), the Center for Applied Research in Education Technology (CARET), the California Distance Learning Project, and more. Her programming expertise includes Access, SQL, ColdFusion, FileMaker Pro, and HTML development, making it possible for clients to gather, manage, process and analyze large amounts of data with ease. Because her sophisticated and powerful use of technology is hidden behind simple, easy-to-use navigation and user interfaces, the systems she builds increase program efficiency, save clients time, and ensure that their data is handled with security, accuracy, and integrity. Her supervisor says, "Carolyn's high-level skills, coupled with her unflappable demeanor, make her an invaluable asset. She can quickly identify and clarify a client's needs and recommend the best technical solutions. Her consistently logical, methodical, and detail-oriented approach to projects invariably results in superior products for our clients. In short, Carolyn puts the magic of technology into the hands of mere mortals." Ms. Foster has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since January 1997.
Certificated Employee of the Month
Jan Valine, a Teacher with Community Schools, was nominated by Principal Carol Guardia for her contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Valine instructs students at SCOE's Leo A. Palmiter Community School campus. She has taught in both Community Schools and Juvenile Court Schools programs and was among the initial staff at SCOE's first Community School campuses. In the words of her supervisor, Ms. Valine has "worn many hats" over the years, including serving as a Mentor Teacher, PAR (Peer Assistance and Review) Teacher, member of SCOE's Curriculum and Course of Study Committee, Site Council member, and member of the Technology Committee and Technology Cadre. Ms. Valine developed a SCOE-wide staff development program for the introduction of the Renaissance Assessment program used in Juvenile Court and Community Schools. She also developed and runs the Computer Technology Program. Her supervisor says, "Jan is a leader in her field of technology and has been willing to share her wealth of knowledge across the board with both staff and students. It is exciting to walk into her Community School classes to see our students developing Web sites of their own, doing research for other classes and making their computers an extension of their learning experience." Ms. Valine has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since October 1977.