Fans at Sutter Health Park cheered as the Sacramento River Cats paid tribute to the District Teachers of the Year 2023 before the game against the Round Rock Express yesterday. The baseball team helped the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) recognize the 12 Teachers of the Year who had been selected to compete at the county level. The celebration at the April 23 game honored the dedication and achievements of Sacramento’s top teachers while giving the community an opportunity to publicly recognize the importance of education.
Matthew Craine (Robla School District Teacher of the Year) threw a ceremonial first pitch. Following the on-field recognition, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union hosted a catered lunch reception for honorees and their guests. They treated the teachers and their guests to a private suite to watch the game and gave everyone a keepsake River Cats baseball cap to commemorate the day.
County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon and Josh Smith, Vice President of School and Community Relations from SchoolsFirst, congratulated the teachers. “Partnerships like this help us expand on our mission of improving lives,” Smith told them. “Thank you for everything you do to empower the community and the students.”
The River Cats have recognized local teachers each year since 2007 with an event dedicated to the Teachers of the Year. The Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Program is coordinated annually by SCOE to recognize the achievements of local educators and to raise awareness of the valuable role that teachers play in the lives of their students and in the community.