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. More than 241,000 K-12 students are served by public schools in Sacramento County.
Classified Employee of the Month
Nikki Brindle, Administrative Assistant, has been nominated by Special Programs/Infant Development Program Director Andrea Lemos, Ed.D., for her contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Brindle provides support to the Director of Special Programs and the Special Education Department, assisting with Medi-Cal and MAA support, taking meeting minutes, organizing the agenda and paperwork related to Medi-Cal meetings, and working with SCOE partners. She arranges student transportation to support SCOE programs, as well as providing for translation and interpretation services. Among her other responsibilities are assisting special education staff as needed and handling accounting for the SCOE Student Body Fund. Her supervisor remarks, "Ms. Brindle takes initiative and is thorough in her research when questions arise. She is very organized and conscientious. She is calm, positive, innovative and takes initiative." Ms. Brindle is highly regarded for her organizational skills, the ability to think ahead, her responsiveness in providing support to staff, and her follow-through through with assigned tasks. One of her colleagues commented of Nikki: "She has a willingness and drive to get work done! Her attention to detail and her completion of work are what make the department successful. Her scheduling gets students to where they need to be, and her work ethic supports teachers in the classroom." Concludes Ms. Brindle's supervisor, "This description truly summarizes the exemplary work that Nikki does each day." Ms. Brindle additionally serves SCOE as a member of the Employee Recognition Day Committee and the MEET (Mather Employee Events Team). Ms. Brindle has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since 2009.
Certificated Employee of the Month
Nick Papagiannopoulos, ED Teacher, was nominated by Principal Lauren Roth for his contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Known as "Mr. Pappas" to his students, he teaches the 12th grade Transition Partnership Program (TPP) Class at SCOE's Leo A. Palmiter Jr./Sr. High School. Students enrolled in this class, which is coordinated in partnership with the California Department of Rehabilitation, are working on meeting goals that lead to employment. His supervisor comments, "When working with students, Mr. Papagiannopoulous is calm, encouraging and is able to provide relevant life lessons to help students transition smoothly from high school to post-secondary activities. During instruction, his students are engaged in the learning process and on task. He is creative and brings current events to life, often connecting them to historical events." He offers resources and community connections to enable students to undertake internship experiences, and he organizes industry/career tours for Palmiter's seniors. In addition to his work in the classroom, "Mr. Pappas" works with middle school students as one of Palmiter's Check In/Check Out Mentoring Program mentors. In 2014 he served as Sacramento History Day coach for two students, and for the last two years he has been both Student Council Advisor and coach of Palmiter's Academic Bowl team, winner of the countywide competition both years. Mr. Papagiannopoulous also leads the Project Wisdom character education program and plays a major role at the campus Culinary Café as he coaches students with their customer service skills. Concludes his supervisor, "Nick is a team player, always willing to help out. He genuinely cares about the well-being of our students and their success, and he always has a positive attitude and outlook." Mr. Papagiannopoulos has been employed by SCOE since 2013.