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
Carol Karnes, School Secretary, was nominated by Principal Lauren Roth for her contributions to the Special Education/ED Program of the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Karnes supports the daily operations of SCOE's Leo A. Palmiter Jr./Sr. High School campus. Among her many responsibilities are managing the newly implemented SEIS (Special Education Student Information System) and the school's PowerSchool Web-based student data system. She works not only with teachers and support staff, but with student assistants and community agencies as well. Her work extends beyond her day-to-day office duties to include serving on the Student Body Advisory, Snack Shack and School Safety Committees. Her supervisor says, "Ms. Karnes is often the first person to greet people coming through the door. She always offers a warm, friendly smile to students, staff, and substitutes, making everyone feel welcome and appreciated." Ms. Karnes is known for her strong organizational skills, her conscientious manner and her dedication to the educational program, staff and students. Concludes her supervisor, "Ms. Karnes models respect, responsibility, and professionalism to the student, exemplifying the key concepts of Positive Behavior Supports (PBS), which is a hallmark program of the Palmiter campus. We greatly value her sensitivity, her caring, gentle nature, and her willingness to assist in any situation." Ms. Karnes has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since October 2007.
Certificated Employee of the Month
Barbara Modlin, Community Schools Teacher, was nominated by Principal Andrea Lemos for her contributions to the Community Schools Program of the Sacramento County Office of Education. She works with students in grades 7-12 at SCOE's Elinor Lincoln Hickey Jr./Sr. High School. While her emphasis in the classroom is on English, Ms. Modlin also teaches additional subjects to meet individual students' needs. She additionally works directly with Independent Study students. Ms. Modlin was SCOE's first LINKS teacher and has been instrumental in helping SCOE expand the LINKS philosophy throughout its Juvenile Court and Community Schools. Her supervisor says, "Ms. Modlin meets not only the students' academic needs but, more important, is there for her students' emotional needs. She celebrates their achievements … and supports them through the occasional downfall such as a student's incarceration in Juvenile Hall and/or Juvenile Court hearings." In addition to her classroom work, Ms. Modlin serves as advisor of the Student Leadership Team, the school's Poetry Out Loud competition and of student mentoring. She also plans field trips for the students, including the California State University, Sacramento, Ropes Course to build teamwork and emphasize the importance of making positive choices. In the words of one of her students, "Ms. Modlin is awesome. What makes her awesome is that she is really caring and really understanding." Ms. Modlin has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since January 2006.