State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Honors and Celebrates Teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week in Santa Ana Unified

SANTA ANA—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond visited Godinez Fundamental High School (GFHS) in the Santa Ana Unified School District on Monday, May 6, 2024, to congratulate and honor teachers at its annual “Teacher Appreciation Breakfast.” Superintendent Thurmond spent time serving freshly prepared meals alongside the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA). This visit was part of celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week and highlighted how today’s teachers continue to inspire and educate the next generation.

“I want to thank all the outstanding teachers here and across California as we ring in Teacher Appreciation Week,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “You are the architects of knowledge, shaping the future one lesson at a time. As a product of public education myself, I understand the invaluable impact that dedicated educators have on shaping young minds. The only reason I am here is because of an inclusive and supportive environment in the form of public education and people who believed in me. Thank you to all our amazing educators!”

In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, Superintendent Thurmond spent time with and showcased pathways for those interested in beginning a career in education. During the visit, Superintendent Thurmond personally contributed Lakeshore Learning Materials gift cards to educators as a token of his appreciation.

Superintendent Thurmond has been traveling the state to lead teacher recruitment and launch a public service announcement about helping teaching candidates access $20,000 scholarships. He has created a new one-stop information and referral system to connect candidates to scholarships, teacher credentialing programs, and school and district employers with current vacancies. Those interested in becoming an educator, school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists in California can email TeachInCA@cde.ca.gov or call the hotline at 916-322-3051.

As part of this school visit, Superintendent Thurmond spoke on the $1.5 billion Educator Effectiveness Block Grant that is available for schools, districts, and county offices of education to receive training resources for classified, certificated, and administrative school staff in specified high-need topics, including accelerated learning, social–emotional learning, re-engaging students, restorative practices, and implicit bias training. Superintendent Thurmond and the California Department of Education are actively working to help connect interested candidates with the available resources and partnering with the California College Corps as well as our Chief Service Officer to help our tutors transition into the classroom as teachers.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100