Teacher of the Year Award
SCUSD Teachers of the Year honored by Sac County Office of Education
Last spring, Sac City Unified School District selected Ms. Heidi Gaynor, a math teacher from Sutter Middle School, and Ms. Seema Sokolis, a teacher from James Marshall Elementary School as SCUSD’s Teachers of the Year. On Friday, August 30th, both were recognized for their hard work and dedication during the Sacramento County Office of Education Teacher of the Year Ceremony. Below are brief bios of each and links to their speeches!
Ms. Heidi Gaynor, Sutter Middle School
SCUSD announces 2013 Teachers of the Year
The pair – a math teacher and a social studies teacher -- will represent the district in Sacramento County’s competition
June 21, 2013 (Sacramento) – Stephanie Cook and Reza Mahvi have been named Sacramento City Unified School District 2013 Teachers of the Year.
Adult Education “Teacher of the Year” Named
Parvin Keyanpour, an Adult Education Parent Participation Preschool teacher at Edward Kelley Preschool, has been named SCUSD’s Adult Education Teacher of the Year. Ms. Keyanpour has been working as a preschool teacher in Adult Education for 20 years. Her commitment to the program goes beyond the classroom. She also maintains the history and life around Edward Kelley School. Ms. Keyanpour is a mentor, leader and friend for other teachers in the program, caring for their needs in and out of the classroom. On February 28, Mary Shelton and Dr. Susan Gilmore surprised her at Edward Kelley with the announcement and presented her with balloons.
2008-2009 Sacramento City Unified School District Teachers of the Year
Teacher finds niche in intensive intervention classes
In her senior year of high school, Tiffany Wilson’s parents were in a terrible auto accident that required them to be hospitalized for most of that school year. On her birthday, with her parents in the hospital, Wilson’s English teacher, Mary Ann Paul, baked her a carrot cake.
It was just a carrot cake, but the simple act of kindness turned Tiffany Wilson away from her childhood aspirations to be a scientist and toward her current career as an educator.
2006-2007 Sacramento City Unified School District Teachers of the Year
About Clayton Dagler:
In ninth grade, Clayton Dagler’s math teacher told him that he
shouldn’t aspire to higher level math classes. Maybe the teacher
was trying to do Dagler a favor. After all, the teenager did
suffer from dyslexia and had a hard time in the class.
Instead, that demeaning comment had the opposite effect, giving Dagler the motivation to prove his teacher wrong. Instead of quitting math, Dagler continued to take higher level classes, eventually graduating from UC Davis with a mathematics degree.
2005-2006 Sacramento City Unified School District Teachers of the Year
The next National Teacher of the Year could very well be one of the two outstanding teachers selected this year to represent Sac City in the first phase of the Teacher of the Year competition.
Jennifer Hughes, an instructor for eight years, teaches a split first/second grade class at John Bidwell Elementary School.
With ten years in the classroom, Michael Holt teaches eighth grade at California Middle.
2004-2005 Sacramento County Teacher of the Year Asa Salley
Asa was also selected as Sacramento County Teacher of the Year.
Seven years ago, Asa Salley began his teaching career at John Bidwell. He is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Multicultural Education. Salley continues to share his knowledge with other educators by presenting at conferences, and was a guest lecturer at UC Davis on “closing the achievement gap.” “I try to take advantage of any opportunity to improve my teaching so I can give my students the very best of myself,” he said.