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 which complement and supplement those offered by public school districts in Sacramento County. Over 230,000 K-12 students are served by public schools in Sacramento County.
Classified Employee of the Month
Nathan Hirth, Database Designer, was nominated by Director of Development and Training Connie Lee for his contributions to the K-12 Curriculum and Intervention Department of the Sacramento County Office of Education. Mr. Hirth develops and maintains the structural design of various systems, applications and databases for custom database-driven websites used for professional development. These systems include Client Account Manager (CAM), Event Management System (EMS), eStandards, and eProfessional Development (ePD). He has been instrumental in designing new online professional development courses and resources to support California's Common Core State Standards. The availability of quality online professional development for teachers and administrators has been limited; however, by creating online courses like ePD and resources like eStandards, SCOE will be increasing the distribution of high-quality professional development in the field, regardless of a user's geographic location or resource limitations. eStandards will be the first mobile app (application) of its type supporting the new state standards. Mr. Hirth's supervisor reports, "Nathan is always willing to take on a challenging project and is well-respected by colleagues for his in-depth knowledge about database design and technology. He is also a team player who is constantly ready to assist a fellow staff member or a client." Mr. Hirth has been a Sacramento County Office of Education employee since November 2008.
Certificated Employee of the Month
Mary Larson, School Nurse, was nominated by Principal Sharon Holstege for her contributions to the Special Education Department of the Sacramento County Office of Education. She provides nursing support to students in SCOE's SH (Severely Handicapped) Program who range in age from kindergarten through young adult. Through her efforts, SCOE classrooms are able to serve students who are medically frail and have complex health issues. Daily, SCOE Special Education staff work with students with tracheotomies, gastrostomy (gastric feeding) tubes, seizure disorders, complicated diets, severe allergic reactions, numerous surgeries/procedures, and reliant upon a variety of medications. Ms. Larson's supervisor says, "Mary is always willing to go above and beyond to do the right things for our students and their families. Her calm presence, professionalism and competence have been a comfort to teachers and administrators as we encounter students with unique health characteristics and complex medical situations." Ms. Larson accompanies families to medical appointments to help bridge the gap between school and the medical community, and she goes to families' homes to help gather and share critical medical information. Reports Ms. Larson's supervisor, "A work day for a special education nurse may encompass a trip in an ambulance to the emergency room with a student...a sensitive conversation with a parent about the child's 'Do Not Resuscitate' order...a call to Child Protective Services...coordination with a child's medical team regarding specialized health care...diagnosing and consulting in regard to a child's health status at school...trying to mobilize resources for a child to get a new wheelchair or a medical appointment...and so much more. Mary performs all of these activities in a supportive way. She is committed to making in a difference in the lives of her students and their families—and she has." In addition to being named as SCOE's Certificated Employee of the Month in November 1998, Ms. Larson was named by the California School Nurses Organization as Northern Section School Nurse of the Year for 2005-06. Ms. Larson has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since July 1996.