Each year, the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE), in partnership with the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), participates in the California State Classified School Employee of the Year (CSEY) program, coordinated by the California Department of Education. Recently, the CCCOE and ACSA announced this year’s honored employees.

Contra Costa County Classified School Employee of the Year Honorees

Steve Waters, Campus Resource Assistant, Pittsburg Unified School District, Campus Resource Category

Norma Arreguin, Instructional Aide, Brentwood Union School District, Para-Educator and Instructional Assistant Category

Mark Mortenson, Maintenance Craftsman, Orinda Union School District Maintenance, Operations and Facilities Category

Vickey Corker, Secretary, Student Services, Byron Union School District, Office and Technical Category

Jeri Sutherland, Library Media Coordinator, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Support Services and Security Category

Maxine Williford, Business Office Technician, John Swett Unified School District, Transportation Category

Contra Costa County Classified School Employee of the Year Nominees

Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities Category:

Donald Howard, Welder, West Contra Costa Unified School District

Jeanette Navarro, Custodian I, Pittsburg Unified School District

Greg Wiggs, Lead Custodian, Contra Costa County Office of Education

Office and Technical Category:

Ellena Ashley, Maintenance & Operations Technician, Pittsburg Unified School District

Martha Collins, Human Resources Assistant II, Contra Costa County Office of Education

Jenny Goodspeed, District Advisor, Contra Costa County Office of Education

Lina Gramatikova, District Payroll Audit Specialist, Contra Costa County Office of Education

Lisa Gruen, Human Resources Technician, West Contra Costa Unified School District

Brenda Kozak, School Administrative Secretary, Contra Costa County Office of Education

Sylvia McClaflin, Special Education Administrative Technician, West Contra Costa Unified School District

Janice Rodriguez, Senior Accounting Assistant, Contra Costa County Office of Education

Debra Shelby, Administrative Assistant II, Contra Costa County Office of Education

Michelle Snyder, College & Career Coordinator, Liberty Union School District

June Stephens, Electronic Communications Specialist, Contra Costa County Office of Education

Jennifer Wall, Administrative Assistant III, Contra Costa County Office of Education

Heidi Wise, Office Manager, Martinez Unified School District

Para-Educator and Instructional Assistance Category:

Stone Chandler, Special Education Assistant, West Contra Costa Unified School District

Raquel Enriquez, Instructional Aide, Pittsburg Unified School District

The CSEY program, sponsored by the CCCOE/ACSA, highlights the contributions of exemplary classified school employees that support and play a key role in promoting student achievement, safety, and health in California public schools, from preschool through 12^th grade.

“We are proud to participate in the Classified School Employee of the Year Program,” said Karen Sakata, Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools. “These amazing individuals are instrumental in promoting student learning and ensuring that our schools, districts and county offices operate smoothly and efficiently.”

All nominees will be recognized at a reception sponsored by the CCCOE, on April 28. The California state’s awardees will be honored at a luncheon in Sacramento, during Classified School Employee Week, May 15-19, 2016.

After serving eleven years as the Contra Costa Community College District (District) Chancellor, Dr. Helen Benjamin has announced her retirement, effective December 31, 2016.

A native of Alexandria, Louisiana, Benjamin joined the District in 1990 as Dean of Los Medanos College’s Language Arts and Humanistic Studies and Related Occupations. In her 25 years with the District, she progressed to higher level positions that included District Vice Chancellor, Educational Programs and Services, interim President of Los Medanos College and President of Contra Costa College before becoming chancellor in 2005.

“What an incredible ride this has been for me,” Benjamin said. “I could not have worked in a better place. I have been allowed to grow, develop and contribute alongside my peers as we have transformed the lives of thousands students. For that, I am grateful.”

Board members said Benjamin has left her mark on many aspects of the District’s three main campuses: Diablo Valley College, Los Medanos College and Contra Costa College. In her tenure, Benjamin managed a variety of District crises, including the 2006-07 cash-for-grades, as well as recurring dips in state funding.

During her chancellorship, the District has also benefitted from $736 million in voter-approved bond measures in 2006 and 2014. That money has paid for major improvements at the Los Medanos and Diablo Valley campuses, and similar work at Contra Costa College has started.

Among her many accomplishments, Benjamin remained committed to student success.

“She has always been a leader who wanted to make sure our success and accomplishments were done as a team,” said District Board President Vicki Gordon.

There’s been a common thread to her work, said Board Secretary Tim Farley.

“The number one concern for Helen is always, ‘How is this going to impact students?’ ” he stated.

According to the District’s website “Dr. Benjamin is passionate about maintaining an active role in a wide variety of professional and community organizations. At the local level, she is a board member of the Kennedy-King Scholarship Memorial College Scholarship Fund, a county-wide effort to provide District students financial support to continue their educational goals at a four-year or graduate institution. At the state level, Dr. Benjamin serves as the immediate Past Chair of the California Community College League Board of Directors. At the national level, she is a member of the Presidents’ Round Table, an affiliate organization of the National Council on Black American Affairs, and is a member of President Obama’s Commission on the Future. In addition, Chancellor Benjamin serves on the board of Excelsior College, located in Albany, New York.”

The Board will begin the search for a new chancellor at their meeting on Wednesday, April 20.

For more information visit www.4cd.edu.

There are currently, approximately 8,401 teachers educating more than 174,800 students in Contra Costa County’s public schools. To recognize their efforts and bring much-deserved honor to the teaching profession, the participating school districts in the county recently named their Teachers of the Year (TOY) representatives. (See list below.) The upcoming school year’s 21 TOYs represent 16 Contra Costa County school districts, the Contra Costa Community College District, and the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE). Most of these representatives, those who teach grades K thru 12, are eligible to compete in the Contra Costa County TOY competition. The two top teachers in the county TOY program will represent Contra Costa County in the California State TOY Program this coming fall.

“We are immensely proud of these amazing educators,” said Karen Sakata, Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools. “They were thoughtfully chosen to represent their schools and districts, and truly represent what is best about public education.”

The county’s TOY program is directed by the CCCOE. With such a high caliber of teaching professionals to draw from, the CCCOE’s TOY program uses a three-stage selection process, with a point and percentage system to determine the final candidates as follows:

I Application Screening:

On April 8, a committee of 15 judges, representing the county’s education, business, and public-sector partners will carefully review the applications submitted by the school districts. This committee independently rates each application. After the application screening and scoring are completed, four teachers will be selected to advance to the next two phases as finalists.

II Classroom Observation and Interview:

In April and May, a small committee of education specialists and business partners observe the four finalists interacting with their students. Immediately following, the committee interviews the candidates discussing topics such as their teaching philosophy and techniques.

III Speech Presentation:

On August 15, the four TOY finalists will each give a three- to five-minute speech to another panel of a dozen educators, business, and public-sector representatives who will judge the finalists on their speech and presentation skills.

On the evening of September 22, 2016, all 21 TOYs, accompanied by their families, friends, and co-workers (an audience of close to 400) will be honored at the annual Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year Dinner Celebration, held at the Hilton Concord. Ms. Sakata, who serves as master of ceremonies, introduces the TOYs by sharing a special story that reflects her classroom visits of each teacher during the current spring and summer months. This will be followed by the four finalists giving their three- to five-minute speeches (same speeches given in August) to the filled banquet room. Finally, the night will come to a dramatic close with the announcement of the two 2016-2017 Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year.

2016-2017 Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year Representatives:

Jamie Cackler Bennetts, Knightsen Elementary School District, Knightsen Elementary

Cynthia Boyko, Acalanes Union High School District, Miramonte High

Rachael Byron, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Dougherty Valley High

Krystal Figaroa, Pittsburg Unified School District, Stoneman Elementary

Erin Flanigan, Martinez Unified School District, Alhambra High

Daniel Yoshio Haley, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, El Dorado Middle

Shauna Hawes, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Valley View Middle

Judy Jernigan, Lafayette School District, Lafayette SD Schools

Kristyn Loy, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Stewart Elementary

Judy Mazur, Walnut Creek School District, Buena Vista Elementary

Vicki McGuire, Antioch Unified School District, Sutter Elementary

Aminta Mickles, Contra Costa Community College District, Contra Costa College

Gina Minder-Maldonado, Oakley Union Elementary School District, Oakley Elementary

Dayle Okamitsu, Orinda Union School District, Wagner Ranch Elementary

Lawrence Pang, West Contra Costa Unified School District, El Cerrito High

Deborah Guillén Rocchild, John Swett Unified School District, John Swett High

Summer Rodriguez, Liberty Union High School District, Liberty High

Joyce Rooks, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Creekside Elementary

Juliet Simens, Brentwood Union School District, Pioneer Elementary

Angela Taylor, Contra Costa County Office of Education, Parole Education Program Oakland Computerized Literacy Learning Center

Sarah Vieira, Byron Union School District, Timber Point Elementary

Note regarding eligible participants:

• Sixteen of the eighteen Contra Costa County school districts represented, and the CCCOE are participating in this year’s TOY program.
• Each year, one instructor from Contra Costa Community College District is submitted to the TOY program for his/her outstanding body of work with their designated college. The colleges rotate each year between Diablo Valley, Los Medanos, and Contra Costa. (These instructors do not compete in the State Teacher of the Year competition.) This year is Contra Costa College’s turn.
• Due to the larger number of students and teachers in their districts, West Contra Costa USD, Mt. Diablo USD, and San Ramon Valley USD are allowed to submit two TOY candidates.

Follow Contra Costa County’s Teacher of the Year program on Twitter: #CoCoTOY