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
Tyrone "Ty" Nguyen, SCBC (Sacramento Community Based Coalition) Transition Specialist, was nominated by SCBC Project Specialist Maggi Schubert for his contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Mr. Nguyen serves as a case manager for ex-offenders enrolled in SCOE's community re-entry program at the SCBC, which is located at the Mather site. His supervisor says he "applies a balance of rapport and structure/accountability to guide his clients toward change, rewarding positive choices at appropriate intervals." He develops and implements program components that assist clients in job-training and placement. While working at SCOE's Yolo County Day Reporting Center site, he took the initiative to develop a job-training and internship program in collaboration with a local nonprofit agency. This provided numerous opportunities for clients with limited employment history or work experience. When his client group completes another stage of the program, he holds a "caseload party" to reinforce the clients' progress. He has come up with unique ways to engage his clients; one example was providing lightweight wood-working materials for clients showing aptitude. Another time, he supplied a gently used suit for a client as a job-training and employment search incentive. His dedication to his clients is evident at every program graduation ceremony. At one recent event, of the 45 program alumni being recognized, nearly 50 percent had been Mr. Nguyen's clients—and 20 of his 22 clients were in attendance, signifying the influence and importance he has had in their life changes and success. Concludes his supervisor, "Ty Nguyen works tirelessly on a daily basis to ensure that his clients have opportunities to turn their lives around." Mr. Nguyen has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since March 1996.
Certificated Employee of the Month
Barbara Fraijo, Teacher, was nominated by Court & Community Schools Director Chris Aland for her contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Fraijo teaches youth who attend the El Centro Jr./Sr. High School campus at the Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility (also known as juvenile hall). Currently assigned to one of the two girls' units, Ms. Frajio has—in the words of her supervisor—"an incredible ability to connect with young women who come to us with many trauma-based issues. She is compassionate beyond words and works with her students no matter where they are in their journey and educational levels." Her expertise in working with students who have been exposed to the commercial sexual exploitation of children is truly a benefit to the El Centro campus. Her supervisor reports that despite having 7th-12th grade students all in one combined classroom—and many of them working at two or more years below their grade level—Ms. Fraijo has an amazing ability to maintain the rigor one expects in a regular program. "She is a model for other teachers on how to assess students and modify the curriculum in a way that keeps all the young women engaged in their studies," says her supervisor. Ms. Frajio leads the Court and Community School staff in the newly adopted math curriculum; is currently piloting and taking the time to explore the new options for English language arts adoption; and is also a team member of the project-based learning team aimed at further engaging students in their education. Her supervisor concludes, "Ms. Fraijo is a powerful asset to the family here at El Centro. She has touched so many young lives at the campus, and by doing so has poured a little love into the hearts and souls of those students with whom she works." Ms. Frajio has been a Sacramento County Office of Education employee since July 2011.