Honoring our teachers

There is an anonymous quote I’ve always liked. It says, “Without teachers there would be no other professions.”

The obvious meaning is that no one is born knowing a profession — someone had to teach practitioners what to do. An equally important message imparted by the quote is that teaching itself is a profession. It requires just as much knowledge and skill and training as any other career — maybe more so than many others.

May is the month when we celebrate the California Day of the Teacher, which enables us to celebrate many of the unsung heroes and heroines in our midst, who make a difference every day in the lives of children.

Teachers personify our society's belief that universal public education is key to meeting the challenges of a changing world. They strive to make every classroom an exciting environment where productive and useful learning can take place and each student is encouraged to grow and develop.

Our teachers reach out to foster the well-being of each student, regardless of ability, social or economic background, race, or ethnic origin or religion. Teachers also motivate individual students to find new directions in life and reach high levels of achievement.

The whole month of May is designated Teacher Appreciation Month by the National PTA. It is a time for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our communities.

This year’s theme is “Thank a teacher for making public schools great.”

It is fitting that this month we take time to remember and salute the teachers who mold and educate our children and have such impact on the future of our society. I hope you all join me in saying “thanks” for their patience, their dedication, their hard work and their results. They make a difference every day and we are all very grateful.

As part of our way to say “thanks,” my office sponsors an annual Education Celebration, coordinated through the Teachers Network. The Teachers Network is designed to recognize and share outstanding teaching ideas that our own county’s teachers have developed.

The Teachers Network is a national program with more than 30,000 members. Business partners provide the funding for teacher grants, teacher attendance at recognition events, and publication of the annual Curriculum Catalog. This year we celebrate our 21st year in Santa Barbara County.

Individual grants were provided to six county teachers: Shanda Herrera, Santa Maria Jt. Union High School District; Nicole Brady-Barton, Santa Maria-Bonita; Diona Durham, Los Alamos; Petti Pfau, Solvang; Leon Lewandowski, Santa Barbara; and Victoria Thor Kornahrens, Goleta.

Team grants were awarded to teachers at Alice Shaw School, Orcutt; Foothill and Goleta Family Schools, Goleta; Ontiveros School, Santa-Maria Bonita; Benjamin Foxen School, Blochman; Santa Ynez Valley High School; and Dos Pueblos and Santa Barbara High Schools.

The Marvyn Melvin Career Technical Educator Awards went this year to Lee Ann Ben-Kinney of Santa Barbara High, and Philip Dinter of Lompoc High.

As always, a high point of the evening was the awarding of the annual Venoco, Inc. Crystal Apples.

North County recipients this year were: classified employee, Terry Shelley, Buellton; elementary teacher, Anna Dinter, La Honda, Lompoc; secondary teacher, Steve Blackie, Lakeview Junior High, Orcutt; support teacher, Cindy Ridenour, Nightingale, Orcutt; and administrator, Doug Palmer, Santa Maria-Bonita.

South County recipients this year were: classified employee, Dinah Stovall, Goleta Valley Junior High, Santa Barbara; elementary teacher, Peppi Chiu, Monroe, Santa Barbara; secondary teacher, Helen Murdoch, San Marcos High, Santa Barbara; support teacher, Cheryl Banigan, Goleta Valley Junior High, Santa Barbara; and administrator, Beatrice Rubio-Cordeiro, Washington, Santa Barbara.

A special posthumous Crystal Apple went to Suzan Carter, Carpinteria Middle School.

Several other teachers were provided with specific awards at the event. We salute them all for the difference they make every day in the lives of local children. It is our small way of saying ‘thanks’ for their huge contribution to our community.