The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is one of 58 county offices located throughout the state. Approximately 700 full-time and more than 2,500 part-time SCOE staff work year-round providing services which complement and supplement those offered by public school districts in the County of Sacramento. Over 230,000 K-12 students are served by public schools in Sacramento County.
Classified Employee of the Month
Heather Styers, an Office Assistant, was nominated by Executive Assistant Carla Miller for her contributions to the Administration Department of the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Styers works at the reception desk of the David P. Meaney Education Center (DPMEC). In the course of any given day, she directs foot traffic to the various conference rooms; answers hundreds of telephone calls; works with Technical Support and Support Operations to ensure conference rooms and A/V equipment are ready; orders office supplies; assists Administrative Department staff with meeting set-up, filing, maintaining databases, composing letters, mail distribution, and many other tasks. One of her strongest assets is her ability to stay calm while diffusing angry callers and frustrated visitors, thus allowing them to feel validated and open to resolution. Her supervisor, Deputy Superintendent Marty Cavanaugh, says, "Heather has a warm and friendly manner, is eager to serve other agencies when they are using SCOE spaces and always represents SCOE in a professional manner." Ms. Styers is abundantly creative, serving on the Employee Recognition Day planning team, as well as the Mather Employee Events Team, where she comes up with great ideas (big and small) to make each event enjoyable and memorable for other employees. One of her major projects is the annual DPMEC conference room reservation process. She enters all room requests in SCOE's scheduling system, identifies any conflict dates, and tries to resolve them directly with the department before final review. She completes this extensive, detailed process in just a few weeks. Her efforts and dedication to total accuracy benefit every department within SCOE. A colleague of her comments, "Heather should be known as the Above and Beyond Gal—because others have commented to me that she always goes Above and Beyond in whatever she is working on." Concludes another of her colleagues, "Heather is a quick learner and is ALWAYS willing to help, with a smile. She listens and finishes a project prior to deadline, often using her own good judgment in determining how the project can be most efficiently done. We are very fortunate to have her as a member of our team." Ms. Styers has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since March 2007.
Certificated Employee of the Month
Michaelann Boyle, an ED Teacher, was nominated by Principal Carmen Walker for her contributions to the Special Education Program of the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Boyle is currently the senior class teacher at Leo A. Palmiter Jr.-Sr. High School. Hers is a self-contained classroom that focuses on the 12th grade course of study, pre-vocational skills and training, and post-transitional skills for students with emotional disturbances (ED). She works collaboratively with SCOE's WorkAbility Program and the school counselor to prepare students for graduation. She has worked with Palmiter's senior class for many years and has developed a comprehensive program including instituting a "Graduation by Exhibition" component to complement the senior course of study and requirements. Ms. Boyle has been actively involved in leading and promoting the Palmiter Student Council. She has developed a leadership component, working diligently with student leaders and class representatives to promote school spirit and teamwork. She works with the students to plan activities that encourage community service, promote leadership opportunities for students, and enrich their experiences to yield successful portfolios. For the past few years Ms. Boyle has taken a leadership role in creating, compiling, and completing a high-quality yearbook that is presented to all of Palmiter's students at the end of the school year. She has also reached out to agencies such as Stanford Home, the Sacramento Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity and other community resources to provide enriching activities for not only her senior students, but all of Palmiter's students. "Ms. Boyle helps makes the students' senior year multi-faceted and memorable," says her supervisor. "She is a vital asset to the Palmiter team." Ms. Boyle has been a Sacramento County Office of Education employee since July 2001.
Substitute of the Quarter (Spring)
Substitute Teacher and Para-Educator Aby Pham was nominated by Effie Crush, Chief Administrator, Human Resources for her contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Pham works in SCOE's Juvenile Court Schools, Community Schools, and Special Education/ED programs. She attended SCOE's Second Annual Substitute Recruitment Day in August 2007 and, as a result, was hired as both a substitute Para-Educator and a Teacher. She began "subbing" in SCOE programs the following month. During the past two school years she has worked in SCOE classrooms more than 320 days as a Para-Educator, a Behavior Management Technician, and as a Teacher in multiple programs. Her supervisor says that Ms. Pham, who completed Utah State University's online Substitute Training program, "is a well-prepared, professional educator. When she steps into SCOE classrooms, she maintains the standards of the permanent teacher and provides a seamless transition for students. She is a highly valued substitute employee." Ms. Pham has been employed as a substitute teacher by the Sacramento County Office of Education since September 2007.