November 13, 2008
State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Names Five
Outstanding
Educators as California Teachers of the Year for 2009
SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today named five remarkable educators as California Teachers of the Year for 2009. These extraordinary educators were selected from an exceptional field of highly qualified and equally dedicated educators.
Alastair Inman teaches science at Lexington Junior High School in the Anaheim Union High School District (Orange County). Alex Kajitani teaches mathematics at Mission Middle School in the Escondido Union (Elementary) School District (San Diego County). Jose L. Navarro IV teaches social studies and U.S. history at Sylmar Senior High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles County). Mark Teeters teaches choral music at Vintage High School in the Napa Valley Unified School District (Napa County). Loredana Wicketts teaches third grade at Eisenhower Elementary in the Corona-Norco Unified School District (Riverside County).
"I congratulate these five remarkable teachers for discovering through innovation and determination new ways to unlock the potential in each of their students," O’Connell said. "I thank them for providing the focus, the consistency, the considerable time and energy, and most importantly for seeing the promise that each student possesses."
O'Connell will announce next week which of the five Teachers of the Year he will nominate to represent California in the National Teacher of the Year Program competition. The national winner will be selected in the spring of 2009 by a panel convened by the Council of Chief State School Officers. All candidates for the National Teacher of the Year Program will be honored at a White House ceremony.
The California Teachers of the Year Program began in 1972 to pay tribute to the state's educators amidst the growing complexity of challenges facing California's schools, and the need to promote collaboration among teachers to meet those challenges.
California continues to face a critical teacher shortage. The program plays a pivotal role in drawing new, talented people into the field. Each year the State Superintendent selects five people who will best represent California's teachers and symbolize the profession's contributions to quality education by focusing public attention on noteworthy accomplishments of teachers.
The competition is open to educators who teach pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. County offices of education nominate winners of their regional Teacher of the Year competition. A state selection committee reviews the candidates' applications and conducts site visits to evaluate the teachers' rapport with students, classroom environment, presentation skills, and use of teaching methods, among other criteria. Following interviews in Sacramento, the State Superintendent then selects the awardees to serve as ambassadors of the profession.
The five Teachers of the Year, as well as the eight semifinalists, will be honored February 9, 2009, in Sacramento at a dinner made possible by donations from corporate sponsors.
Individual photos of the teachers are available at: Year 2008 - Multimedia. For more information on the California Teachers of the Year Program, please go to California Teachers of the Year.
Here are brief introductions to each of the 2009 California Teachers of the Year and contact information:
Alastair Inman
Lexington Junior High School
Anaheim Union High School District
Alastair Inman teaches science at Lexington Junior High School in the Anaheim Union High School District (Orange County).
"Alastair Inman teaches a subject essential to the future of our students and of California, a state known for its high-technology, life science, and other emerging growth industries," O’Connell said."I appreciate his efforts to foster the skills and creativity that spark and captivate the interest of his students who very well could become the next generation of great scientific minds. He is helping to close a science literacy gap between education and the needs of industry."
In Mr. Inman’s application for the California Teachers of the Year Program, he wrote: "As a science teacher, I would hope to make a special connection with other scientists and engineers, given the acute need for math and science teachers across the nation. Teaching science has allowed me to reap the best of two worlds: I am still a scientist engaged on a daily basis, but I also feel the added rewards that can only come from teaching young people and playing a role in their development. To raise the level of science literacy, we need to infuse a more active curriculum into our schools as early as possible. I believe that the key to getting and keeping students interested is ensuring that they are doing science, not just learning about science, from a very young age."
Mr. Inman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from McGill University in Montreal, Canada in 1984, and a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Oxford in 1990.
Mr. Inman can be reached at Lexington Junior High School, at 714-220-4201 or by e-mail at inman_a@auhsd.us.
Alex Kajitani
Mission Middle School
Escondido Union (Elementary) School District
Alex Kajitani teaches mathematics at Mission Middle School in the Escondido Union (Elementary) School District (San Diego County).
"Alex Kajitani is an original thinker who teaches to a different beat, and it is due to his rather unorthodox approach that his math students seldom miss a beat either," O’Connell said. "Alex, who is known as the Rappin' Mathematician, uses the strong beat of rap music to make math, as well as the world, more relevant to his students. He helps them learn in a way that is positive, engaging, and lasting."
In Mr. Kajitani’s application for the California Teachers of the Year Program, he wrote: "Teaching is not just what we do; it is what we are. We are a group of dedicated, passionate professionals who enter our classrooms each morning not only to teach our students about the world as it is, but for the world as it can be. We live on a planet shaped by war, hunger, disease, and the destruction of our environment. Yet we also live in a world in which we can invoke in our students the determination and knowledge to create peace, equity and compassion. By being teachers, and embodying the commitment that is inherent to living and working as teachers, we are inspiring, creating, and invoking in our students the pride and confidence to make this world a better place."
Mr. Kajitani earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1995, and a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction from San Diego State University in 2004.
Mr. Kajitani can be reached at Mission Middle School, at 760-432-2452 or by e-mail at akajitani@yahoo.com.
Jose L. Navarro IV
Sylmar Senior High School
Los Angeles Unified School District
Jose L. Navarro IV teaches social studies and U.S. history at Sylmar Senior High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles County).
"Jose Navarro is a gifted educator who brings history to life, inspiring his students to learn about the past while at the same time discovering their own futures," O’Connell said. "He has a great concern for students who are struggling in school and in life. Jose is a natural mentor who has been able to reach many students and motivate them to work harder and achieve more."
In Mr. Navarro’s application for the California Teachers of the Year Program he wrote: "I am a teacher. I bring beauty to this world through my teaching as much as my brother does through his paintings. I am able to exercise a vision and see things others simply do not, though my lessons. And as all artists do, I use my environment for inspiration and my heart as a guide. Teaching is how I share my heart with the world. Teaching is my vocation and with any vocation it takes discipline, self reflection, studying and practice to hone a skill and make it an art. I have dedicated myself to becoming the best teacher I can for no other reason than my students deserve it."
Mr. Navarro earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Oregon University in 1995. Presently he is enrolled in the Graduate School of Education at Mount St. Mary’s College.
Mr. Navarro can be reached at Sylmar Senior High School, at 818-833-3700 or by e-mail at jln9632@lausd.net.
Mark Teeters
Vintage High School
Napa Valley Unified School District
Mark Teeters teaches choral music at Vintage High School in the Napa Valley Unified School District (Napa County).
"Mark Teeters has opened up the world to his students through music and through travel," O’Connell said. "He has shown them the amazing power of music that can be seen in both academic and social development and should always be a part of the educational experience. It is a medium of communication and expression all children should acquire."
In Mr. Teeters’ application for the California Teachers of the Year Program, he wrote: "There is overwhelming evidence that music improves academic performance and provides a creative outlet for teenagers. Music has always had the power to make languages, culture and history come alive in ways unrivaled by any textbook. Our kids have sung in at least twenty different languages from Hungarian to Hebrew. Classroom discussion on the texts of songs has opened students’ hearts and minds to the beauty of poetry…music operates in not just the factual realm, but also in an emotional one. In a time when many teenagers are disaffected at home, alienated or separated from adults and sometimes even from their peers, music connects them in real ways."
Mr. Teeters earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education at Northern Arizona University in 1993 and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Oklahoma in 1999.
Mr. Teeters can be reached at Vintage High School, at 707-253-3601 or by e-mail at mteeters@nvusd.k12.ca.us.
Loredana Wicketts
Eisenhower Elementary
Corona-Norco Unified School District
Loredana Wicketts teaches third grade at Eisenhower Elementary in the Corona-Norco Unified School District (Riverside County).
"Loredana Wicketts never settles for anything less than the best from her students, and through her dedication and guidance she supports, encourages, and prepares them," O’Connell said. "She understands the challenges facing many of her students who are learning English, and she is committed to their success in a global society."
In Ms. Wicketts’ application for the California Teachers of the Year Program, she wrote: "As humans, we have an obligation to the global stability and future of our planet. Teachers and all community members must have a greater vision than test scores, economic success, and national development. I believe that teachers can no longer be mere dispensers of information. We must aid in the development of human beings that have respect for this precious and delicate world. Educators, communities and governments need to form a broader coalition to implement reforms that will develop strong, well-rounded youth that are equipped to face the challenges of the future."
Ms. Wicketts earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies in 1994 from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, with an emphasis on Ethnic and Women’s Studies. Her Master’s in Education was earned in 1996 at the Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, California.
Ms. Wicketts can be reached at Eisenhower Elementary, at 951-739-5960 or by e-mail at lwicketts@cnusd.k12.ca.us.
