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
See Vang, an Infant Educator, was nominated by Director Gary Scott Johnson for her contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Vang provides individualized instructional support to families with children (ages birth to three) who have special needs and challenges. She works in the child's home with the family members who can best enhance their child's learning and development. Ms. Vang serves as part of a team that includes a speech therapist, occupational therapists, a nurse, an early childhood special education teacher, a vision specialist and a hearing specialist. As an integral member on the team, Ms. Vang has exceptional communication skills and is a very organized individual. One of her colleagues states, "See is a very thoughtful and considerate person. She has been known to leave others little notes that express her appreciation and thanks for something the other person did that she found helpful. Whenever I receive such a note of thanks from See, my day and attitude lighten." Ms. Vang is bilingual, speaking fluently in English and Hmong, and has served on the planning committee for the Interpreter and Translator Training provided annually by SCOE's Infant Program staff. She has brought about awareness and greater understanding of the Hmong culture, which SCOE has incorporated into its training. Her supervisor concludes, "In a positive, nonjudgmental manner, Ms. Vang creates relationships with each family and supports its own unique needs and interests for the child. She is diligent in honoring the racial, ethnic, religious, cultural and socioeconomic diversity of the families SCOE serves. She exemplifies kindness, dedication and honest care in all of her work." Ms. Vang has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since August 2004.
Certificated Employee of the Month
Infant Development Program Nurses Pat Bates, Yuuko Feletto, Alicia Dahl-Montojo and Bruce Springborn were nominated as a team by Gary Scott Johnson, Infant Program Director, for their collective contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. They serve as active members of IDP's trans-disciplinary team—performing eligibility evaluations, conducting ongoing health assessments, assisting in the creation of Individualized Family Service Plans, building open and honest partnerships with families of children having special needs, and providing support and services in each family's natural home environment. An especially noteworthy project in which they are involved is the recent establishment of the U.C. Davis Pediatric Resident Early Intervention Home Visitation Project, conducted in partnership with the UCD Children's Hospital Department of Pediatrics. The project enables pediatric medical residents to act as observers during home visits or group activities with families who have a child with special needs and receive family-focused early intervention services through SCOE's IDP. Since the July 2011 start of the Home Visitation Project, 17 residents and one medical student from UCD have participated. Consensus among participants and partners is that this program has been tremendously successful. One resident remarked, "It was good to see this patient I know well, in his home where he has a rich life. I also understand better what is actually done at a home visit." SCOE's Infant Program nurses also have created a similar relationship with the Sutter Family Medicine Residency Program. During the coming school year a minimum of seven Sutter residents will be observing a home or group visit conducted by SCOE's IDP staff. Each resident will be making two home visits. All four of last year's participating Sutter residents unanimously concurred that the home visit experience helped them "to better understand family-centered early intervention in-home services." The four nurses also have been closely working with a nutritionist to create unique handouts on health tips for the families SCOE serves, completing a "Healthy Menu Budget Analysis," a "Vitamin and Mineral Guide" and a guide to educate parents about "Toddler Serving Sizes." Their supervisor additionally reports that this team of nurses has been instrumental in creating a "Parent Wellness" program, offering parents a unique opportunity to practice new and healthy activities in the community. He concludes, "The hard and focused work of these team members is truly exemplary." Pat Bates (hired by SCOE in October 1985), Yuuko Feletto (December 1998), Alicia Dahl-Montojo (September 2008) and Bruce Springborn (October 2001) collectively represent 56 years of Sacramento County Office of Education service to students and families.