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.
Employees of the Month Team
Two North Area School staff were nominated by Principal Lisa Alcalá as a team for their contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Kecia Sakazaki, Transition Specialist, and Kevin Elkington, Community Schools Teacher, serve students in grades seven through twelve who have significant academic delays and require much personal attention. Ms. Sakazaki works with students one-on-one to help with academics; researches and arranges guest speakers and programs for the students; helps students build their success plans; puts students in touch with resources they may need; helps students with résumé and job prep skills; and works with families to remove barriers that impede students’ regular attendance. Mr. Elkington teaches a self-contained class covering all subject areas, working diligently to serve an extremely challenging group of students. As a team, Ms. Sakazaki and Mr. Elkington provide individualized assistance to students. Academically they provide instruction that is rigorous and relevant. When Mr. Elkington is teaching a whole class lesson, Mrs. Sakazaki is “working the room” and making sure that everyone is understanding, as she helps fill in the learning gaps when necessary. Their supervisor says, “What is admirable is their dedication to helping students be successful. They meet each student where he or she is at and push each one to move forward. They understand that students will have a bad day, but that each day is new day. This is so important for young people who struggle with behavior issues. The students in their class do not feel judged. These two employees show exemplary commitment to the students and families they serve, and are a valuable part of the Court and Community Schools program.” Ms. Sakazaki has been a Sacramento County Office of Education employee since 2015. Mr. Elkington has been employed by SCOE since 2011.