A high school agriculture teacher and a high school chemistry and math teacher have been selected as the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year 2022. The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) made the announcement during an online celebration yesterday.
- Video: Teachers of the Year 2022 Celebration Event (courtesy SECC)
(Also airs on Comcast Channel 15/Consolidated 21/U-Verse 14 at 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on the following dates: 8/14, 8/15, 8/21, and 8/22.)
Mandy Garner is an agriculture teacher at Liberty Ranch High School in the Galt Joint Union High School District. Yvonne Thornton teaches chemistry, math, and study skills at Cordova High School in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District.
A committee comprised of education professionals, including previous Sacramento County Teachers of the Year, interviewed local district Teachers of the Year and chose the two winners. All school districts within Sacramento County, local charter schools, and SCOE are invited to participate in the program each year. Larger districts are eligible to nominate two teachers.
During the virtual celebration, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon introduced the nominees. Each said a few words about what it means to be a teacher and how they navigated the last 16 months with COVID-19 restrictions. Sacramento County Board of Education President Karina Talamantes announced the winners, who will both receive the Elinor Lincoln Hickey Award of Merit—the highest honor bestowed by the Board. The Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry will also provide both teachers with perpetual trophies that honor them during the upcoming school year.
SCOE is collaborating with the Sacramento Educational Cable Consortium (SECC) to produce a Teachers of the Year 2022 awards program.
The two winners join an elite group of teachers who have represented Sacramento County over the years. Previous Sacramento County Teachers of the Year are listed online, going back to the 1973–74 school year.
Update 8/12/21: Added link to SECC video presentation.
