Darga to represent all great teachers in county

“Every child who enters my classroom is special in his or her own unique way, and I enjoy helping them recognize their strengths and watching them overcome their weaknesses.”So said Celeste Darga, a first grade teacher at Washington School in the Santa Barbara Elementary School District who was named this year’s Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year.

Darga, one of a number of outstanding countywide nominees for the honor, was selected by a committee including representatives of teachers, administrators, and PTAs.

Each year the county Teacher of the Year is a truly outstanding teacher and human being. Each one brings different skills and passions to the table.

Darga holds a B.A. in child development from Cal State Northridge and is working on an M.A. and an administrative credential from UCSB. She earned her teaching credentials from Cal State Northridge.

Darga began teaching at the kindergarten, third, fourth, and fifth grade levels at Pinecrest Preparatory Private School before becoming interim preschool director at Pinecrest. She taught at Gan Israel Hebrew Academy before serving as summer school principal at Montecito Union. She then joined the Santa Barbara School District as a first grade teacher at Cleveland School. Since 1999 she has served as a Reading First instructor of Open Court, Governor’s Reading Professional Development Institutes in the summer. Since 2002 she has been a language arts presenter for SRA McGraw-Hill. And since 1998 she has been a first grade teacher at Harding and Washington Schools in Santa Barbara.

Darga’s recognitions have been numerous. She has received the Principal’s Award, an Honorary PTA Award, Santa Barbara Schools-Mentor Teachers, Santa Barbara County Technology Mentor, and Teacher of the Month.

She has also served on the Leadership and Technology Committees at Washington School. She serves as Teacher in Charge when her administrator is absent. She is a countywide Tech Mentor, a BTSA Support provider, a member of her site’s Leadership and Technology Teams, and a School Site Council Representative.

She has trained new teachers, veteran teachers, and administrators in five-day Language Arts trainings, along with training teachers in how they can enrich their curricula using technology. In terms of community involvement, Darga works with local businesses in her school’s neighborhood to help promote literacy in her classroom. She has served as head of fundraising committees in two schools, both raising more than $50,000.

Darga’s nomination will next be reviewed for consideration as California Teacher of the Year in the fall. The California winner will then proceed into consideration for 2006 National Teacher of the Year.

As Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year, Darga will be available to speak countywide, and can be reached at Washington School in the Santa Barbara Elementary School District at 965-6653, or at the County Education Office, by calling Louise Fisher at 964-4711, ext. 5281. She is an outstanding spokesperson for public education in our county and we congratulate her on this well-deserved honor.