A 6th grade teacher from the San Juan Unified School District and a 2nd grade teacher from the Elk Grove Unified School District are the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year 2010, the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) announced September 2nd at a county-wide teacher recognition banquet.
Deb House, who teaches 6th grade math, science, and language arts at Kingswood Elementary School in the San Juan District, and JoEllen Shanks, who teaches 2nd grade at Stone Lake Elementary in Elk Grove, were selected from the 15 Sacramento-area district Teachers of the Year representing Sacramento County in the California Teachers of the Year competition.
A community selection committee comprised of education professionals, including previous Teachers of the Year, met to interview each local district Teacher of the Year and selected the two finalists.
All 15 Sacramento-area teachers will be honored when the Sacramento Kings host the Phoenix Suns on Friday, February 5, 2010, at ARCO Arena. The Sacramento River Cats will also host a special Teacher Appreciation Night on Monday, May 3, 2010, when the River Cats host the Salt Lake Bees.
All of the school districts within the County of Sacramento, along with the Sacramento County Office of Education, are invited each year to participate in the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Program. Larger districts are eligible to submit two entries. Eleven local districts including the Sacramento County Office of Education participated this year. Each district's Teacher of the Year completed a comprehensive application packet, which included an extensive biography and answering questions ranging from personal philosophy of teaching to an understanding of current educational issues.
During the awards banquet, each district Teacher of the Year was introduced by either a current or former student. David W. Gordon, County Superintendent of Schools, and trustees from the Sacramento County Board of Education presented each of the Teachers of the Year with an inscribed award. Outgoing Teacher of the Year Janet Anderson announced the names of the 2010 Teachers of the Year. County School Board Trustee Adriana Echandía presented the winners with the Elinor Lincoln Hickey Award of Merit, the highest honor bestowed by the County Board of Education. Ken McIver, representing the Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry, awarded a perpetual trophy to the County Teachers of the Year.
Deb House and JoEllen Shanks now are eligible to advance to the statewide competition, out of which five teachers will be chosen as California Teachers of the Year.
The five California Teachers of the Year are responsible for representing the teaching profession in a variety of settings and assisting their teaching colleagues in numerous ways throughout the calendar year of 2010. Their names and that of the one individual of the group selected as the state's nominee to the National Teacher of the Year program will be announced later in the fall by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Program is presented by the Sacramento County Office of Education in partnership with Maloof Sports and Entertainment, the Sacramento River Cats, the Intel Corporation Folsom, and the Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry.
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LoAnne Jackson Center Joint Unified School District North Country Elementary School 1st Grade Studio Interview (YouTube)  Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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Criss Brandes Elk Grove Unified School District Robert J. Fite Elementary School 3rd Grade Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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JoEllen Shanks • Selected as County TOY 2010 Elk Grove Unified School District Stone Lake Elementary School 2nd Grade Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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Scott Meyer Folsom Cordova Unified School District Mills Middle School Social Science & Leadership Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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Donna Hartje Galt Joint Union High School District Liberty Ranch High School Mathematics—Algebra I & Geometry Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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Jennifer Carlson Natomas Unified School District Heron School 4th Grade Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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Heather Dolk River Delta Unified School District D.H. White Elementary School 1st Grade Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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Bob Crongeyer Robla School District Taylor Street School 3rd–6th Grade G.A.T.E. Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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Christy Fung Sacramento City Unified School District Freeport Elementary School Kindergarten Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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Peggy Green Sacramento City Unified School District Sam Brannan Middle School 7th Grade Language Arts & World History Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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Lisa Alcalá Sacramento County Office of Education Elinor L. Hickey Jr./Sr. High School Academic Intervention/Multiple Subjects Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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Robyn Cox San Juan Unified School District Rio Americano High School Mathematics Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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Deb House • Selected as County TOY 2010 San Juan Unified School District Kingswood Elementary School 6th Grade Math, Science, and Language Arts Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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Anna Ampania Twin Rivers Unified School District Woodridge Elementary School 1st Grade Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
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Reginald Harris Twin Rivers Unified School District Grant Union High School Physical Education Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |