Virginia Avila, Anne Marie Bergen, Connie Baumgardt Blackburn and Tamara Thornell are California's Teachers of the Year for 2003. Avila will represent the state in the national Teacher of the Year competition.
Four out of five of California's Teachers of the Year 2003 are CTA members: Virginia Avila from the Grant Joint Union High School District in Sacramento County; Anne Marie Bergen from the Oakdale Joint Unified School District in Stanislaus County; Connie Baumgardt Blackburn from the Escondido Union School District in San Diego County; and Tamara Thornell from the Oxnard Elementary School District in Ventura County.
Although California selects several Teachers of the Year, only one name can be submitted for consideration in the National Teacher of the Year competition. California's nominee this year is Virginia Avila.
The current National Teacher of the Year is Chauncey Veatch from Coachella Valley High School in Riverside County.
This is the first year that California has named alternates in the Teachers of the Year program. They are James Jordan from the San Juan Unified School District in Sacramento County and Sharon Roxburgh from the Bakersfield City School District in Kern County.
"Education represents one of the most important investments that society makes in itself, influencing not only individual development and potential, but also the economic and cultural well-being of our state and nation," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin in announcing the winners. "We have entrusted the future of this nation to our teachers. Teachers help mold the attitudes, beliefs, and achievements that will determine the character of our next generation."
Describing the winners as "role models for living and inspiration for learning," she said, "I am proud to recognize the work of California's 307,000 teachers and to congratulate these dedicated professionals."
The winners
Virginia Avila, a member of the Grant District Education Association, teaches ninth grade physical education and English at Grant High School in Sacramento. She always has wanted to be a teacher. When she was 10, she would gather the neighborhood children in a garage and have them sit on old tires holding boards on their laps for desks while she read to them from her school books. Avila attributes her love of teaching to her father who valued integrity, character, and fairness, and who taught her to show utmost respect for teachers and the clergy. She has won numerous awards for her teaching and, although she has had opportunities to teach elsewhere, she says she belongs where she is now. Avila also has taught elementary and junior high school, as well as severely emotionally disturbed children. She volunteers extensively in the community.
Anne Marie Bergen, a member of the Oakdale Teachers Association, serves as K-6 science coordinator/teacher at Magnolia Elementary School in Oakdale. She quotes Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" when she explains how the profession fulfills her: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." Torn between an internship at a genetics lab and a teaching position, Bergen chose to teach and has never looked back. Now some 17 years later, she espouses for students an active learning environment, meaningful learning experiences and compassionate teaching that engages students of all ages, abilities and languages.
Connie Baumgardt Blackburn, a member of the Escondido Elementary Educators Association, teaches kindergarten at Central School in Escondido. She sees herself as an ambassador for education. "Teaching is not for the faint-hearted, but for the courageous," she says. At the same time, she calls teaching the best profession in the world and can't see herself doing anything else. She believes new teachers should be paired with mentors. Her special plea to people considering a teaching career or struggling as new teachers is that they stay committed to the profession because they are desperately needed. Her wish for more established teachers is that they never stop keeping up with educational research or learning new techniques.
Tamara Thornell, a member of the Oxnard Educators Association, teaches a bilingual second-grade class at Norman R. Brekke School in Oxnard. She is a firm believer in the philosophy that all students can succeed by having self-confidence, mastering grade-level standards and loving to learn. Thornell sees her role as ensuring that her students achieve success in every situation, master standards and engage in social interaction. She believes that learners can best succeed if curriculum content is differentiated to appropriately meet individual needs. Students are encouraged to think indepth about their projects. Thornell sees herself as a facilitator and a role model for the learning process. She applies this philosophy not only in class, but also in the technology integration workshops she gives for other educators.
Alternates named
James Jordan, a member of the San Juan Teachers Association, teaches English and journalism at Del Campo High School in Fair Oaks. He believes success in school begins with being organized. He has students develop note taking and journaling skills, and maintains a "fanatical focus" on meeting deadlines. In order for students to know what's coming up, Jordan builds their expectations about what will happen each day and week. He loves to push students beyond the limits of what they think they can achieve. He considers his role as similar to that of a coach, training students in the skills necessary for their success and running alongside them, clapping and cheering to inspire every ounce of effort.
Sharon Roxburgh, a member of the Bakersfield Elementary Teachers Association, teaches fifth grade at Dr. Juliet Thorner School in Bakersfield. She is known for her "can-do" attitude. Supervisors and peers acknowledge her rigorous curriculum, classroom management, command of subject matter, and ability to adapt instruction to different styles and levels. Roxburgh brought the "Rolling Reader" program to her district. She encourages parents to get involved in their children's education. In class, students learn to study, memorize, research and solve problems independently and in teams. In 2001-02, Roxburgh's class attendance was 97 percent. School needs to be exciting so kids will attend, she says. She lives by the saying, "Bring the body, and the mind will follow."
