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
Amanda Medford, Transition Specialist, was nominated by Elinor Lincoln Hickey Jr./Sr. High School Principal Lisa Alcalá for her contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. As a transition specialist for E.L. Hickey, "Miss Amanda," as the students call her, was a natural from the start. According to her supervisor, "Amanda has an innate ability to work with young people whose lives are often in a state of transition." One of Ms. Medford's biggest contributions to the school site was the implementation of the Welcome Room. Inside this special room, Ms. Medford is responsible for greeting the students each morning and insuring that they are ready for a successful day. Not only does Ms. Medford check to ensure students are following the dress code and that they lock up personal items, but she also takes the extra steps to assess if students might need to talk about issues of important personal concern before heading to class. It is typical to find Ms. Medford working one-on-one or with small groups of students on job applications or looking for resources to support a student or family in need. Her supervisor also adds, "Amanda works effortlessly with students who are upset and need a place to calm down and readjust so they can go back into the classroom and finish the day's lesson. She is an integral part of what makes Hickey work and we are fortunate to have her as part of our team." Ms. Medford also works hard to stay in contact with families. She checks in to determine why students are late or absent and she is often the person parents will call when they need assistance. Ms. Medford has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since May 2012.
Certificated Employee of the Month
Patricia Millings, Teacher, was nominated by Gerber Jr./Sr. High School Principal Sharon Douglas for her contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Millings teaches students at Gerber Jr./Sr. High School, a community school program. She has also taught at several other SCOE sites including the El Centro Youth Detention Facility. Her supervisor states that Ms. Millings has demonstrated the ability to set high academic and behavioral expectations for the students who are in her classes. She presents curriculum to students that provides rigor and relevance and utilizes a variety of instructional strategies to engage students in the lessons that she presents. According to her supervisor, "Patricia has the ability to present subject matter to students who may be struggling with the curriculum in a manner in which they are able to grasp concepts and comprehend the material. She has proven that she is able to create a good balance between holding students accountable for their behavior while at the same time making positive connections with them." Ms. Millings is known for having an excellent rapport not only with her students but also with their families. She often looks past, bad behaviors to get to the root of what is causing these behaviors and then she works with those students to find solutions. This type of attitude and mindset is critical to have when working in an environment with at-risk students. Her supervisor concludes by saying: "Patricia is an outstanding teacher because she seeks and welcomes feedback on her instruction and is very open to learning new instructional strategies that will help her to be the best teacher that she can be." Ms. Millings has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since November 2005.