| Nicole
Brady-Barton, a second/third grade combination teacher at Ontiveros
school in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District,
and George Flores, a science teacher at Carpinteria Middle School for
11 years, were named 2004–05 Santa Barbara County Distinguished
Educators by County Superintendent of Schools William J. Cirone. The
announcement was made May 6 at a press conference called for the regular
meeting of the Santa Barbara County Board of Education.
“
Nicole and George exemplify what is best in our profession,” said
Superintendent Cirone. “We created the Distinguished Educators
award as a means of paying tribute to the successes and dedication these
truly outstanding teachers display every day.”
The award was created as an outgrowth of the annual county Teacher of
the Year award. This year, the selection committee, which included representatives
of teachers, administrators, and PTAs, expressed strong feelings that
the application and credentials of Brady-Barton and Flores were clearly
Teacher-of-the-Year caliber.
The committee members could only select one teacher to represent the
county for the State Teacher of the Year award; but members felt strongly
they should also acknowledge the excellence of these finalists.
“
This is our way of publicly announcing how very grateful and proud we
are of their efforts and for their successes,” said Mr. Cirone.
Eric Burrows, a social studies teacher at San Marcos High School in Santa
Barbara, was named County Teacher of the Year on May 1. He will represent
Santa
Barbara County as a candidate for state Teacher of the Year.
Nicole Brady-Barton, a second/third grade combination class teacher at Ontiveros
School in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District has 10 years of teaching experience,
beginning in the Vista School District as a Chapter 1 bilingual instructional
aide, working in grades three, four, and five. From Vista she moved to Santa
Maria-Bonita, where she was hired as a bilingual teacher. She taught five years
of sixth grade, three years of third grade, and is currently in her first year
teaching a second/third grade combination. During her first three years in Santa
Maria, she also taught for the high school district in its independent study
program, where she worked one-on-one helping students earn credits.
She earned her bachelor of fine arts in art education at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn,
NY and her master of arts in education in the area of administration.
Brady-Barton is one of an elite few teachers in the county to become National
Board Certified in the area of middle childhood generalist. She is one of the
first two teachers in Santa Maria to achieve the honor. She also served as
a district technology mentor, helping create standards-aligned Internet learning
lessons. She created her school’s web page as well.
She was selected as the Santa Maria-Bonita Teacher of the Year. She also received
a Fulbright Memorial Fund fellowship, which enabled her to visit Japan for three
weeks to learn about the history, culture, and education system of Japan.
She has mentored a small group of teachers working toward national board certification
and took part in implementing her district’s English Learner’s Action
Team. She took part in her district’s administration internship and acted
as a substitute administrator at her own school and another.
She has supported the Boys and Girls Club through Back-a-Youth Night and the
United Way’s annual trivia contest. She has also taken her class on a
field trip to pick up trash at Oso Flaco.
Wrote principal Linda Cordero: “She has always exemplified the qualities
of a dedicated and caring professional … She has real expertise in connecting
and building on the personal experiences all children bring to the classroom.
Art is skillfully integrated throughout all areas of the curriculum to facilitate
student understanding of concepts and expand their learning … She is
admired and respected by all who know her. She is always willing to accept
new challenges
and maintains a positive and professional demeanor in every situation. She
is a warm and caring person who is a real asset as a member of our school staff.”
Wrote colleague Teresa Cota: “She is an affable, smart, flexible, team
player, whose many talents strengthen our faculty and serve to make Ontiveros
the exciting place of learning that it is … Ms. Brady-Barton brings to
our site a wealth of talent and breadth of knowledge that few can match. Even
better, she readily shares it with her colleagues and her students … What
a delight to see engaged and enthusiastic students, standards-based lessons,
and creative, well-planned instruction; all with Ms. Brady-Barton at the helm!
Nicole is an excellent classroom teacher, whose students’ lives will
forever be influenced by their experiences with her. Nicole is also an amazing
colleague,
who takes her responsibility seriously to share her gifts, ideas and experiences
with others; who then will take those back to their owns students. Lucky students,
lucky school, lucky district, lucky county.”
Wrote student Savannah Arguijo: “I know Ms. Brady-Barton because I was
in her class in third grade last year. I remember that she was really nice to
our class. One really special thing I remember … was when we did an art
project of the desert. We were learning about the Navajo Indians. The art project
included coyotes, saguaro cacti, and mountains in the background. It was fun
to do an art project about where the Navajo lived. I think Ms. Brady-Barton … is
a great teacher. Also, she was always nice to her class and other people.”
George Flores, a science teacher at Carpinteria Middle School, has 22 years of
teaching experience. He currently teaches seventh grade mainstream life science,
seventh grade sheltered life science, eighth grade sheltered physical science,
and a black-and-white photography class.
The son of parents from Puerto Rico, he was raised in a single parent household
in the south Bronx in New York and was the only member of the family to attend
college. He holds his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the
University of Massachusetts, and attended the College of Art and Design in
Pasadena.
Flores’ numerous extracurricular activities include creating an Adventure
Club, teaching an after-school photography class, and organizing an eighth
grade trip to Astrocamp. While teaching in Massachusetts, he visited the Amazon
and
created a unit for his students on the rainforest. He traveled with his Carpinteria
students to Hawaii where they studied volcanoes. He recently took a group of
students to the rainforest of Panama to meet with Smithsonian researchers and
learn about the environment first hand.
Flores is a national trainer for the JASON Foundation. He served as Summer
Institute co-organizer for JASON XIV and XV. He has also worked as a professional
photographer
and organized field studies and seminars for educators and students as part
of Expedition-Eco Tours. He took part in Seal Watch, monitoring the local harbor
seal population; and co-organized COPLA – Committee of Latino Parents.
He also helped mobilize his school’s student government to conduct a
fundraiser to save the Carpinteria Bluffs. He has done extensive work with
Carpinteria Girls
Incorporated and Big Brothers-Big Sisters of America. He has won Educator Grant
Awards, was named Carpinteria Teacher of the Year, and has won a Crystal Apple
Educators Award and a Team Coaching Award.
Wrote
superintendent Sandra Smyser: “His
involvement with the community … has been phenomenal … He spends
countless hours with students, truly dedicating his life to their education and
well being … He serves as a mentor teacher to student teachers, facilitates
staff development training, pilots instructions materials, and serves as the
science department chair. His involvement with the JASON project is amazing.
He has trained over 300 educators nationwide.”
Wrote colleague Kim Castagna: “His excitement for learning is infectious
to his students and fellow teachers; he is a true believer in providing learning
experiences without walls. I am inspired by his love of teaching. George is someone
who leads others by his enthusiasm and inquisitive nature. He is always looking
for ways to engage all students in learning, to provide students with choices
and exciting educational opportunities … George is a gem in our district
whose worth is unparalleled.”
Wrote student Christina Courtney: “George Flores continually goes above
and beyond to teach his students. In order to make learning fun he’s constantly
planning field trips that break down the walls of the classroom. He … took
us on a field trip to a math or science-related occupational field in order to
open up our eyes to another world we never dreamed existed … He taught
me that the only limits you have are the ones you put on yourself … I strongly
believe that my success as a student began the first day I stepped foot in his
classroom.”
Wrote technology projects coordinator Jan Marholin: “George Flores is the ‘Pied
Piper’ of science. No matter where George goes, there are students of all
ages following him … Mr. Flores engages and excites students in science
with real time applications and experiences. To do this he employs his creativeness,
mathematics, photography skills, and just plain unbridled excitement … George
is visionary and believes that all students can succeed in science … George
has also become a science curriculum specialist piloting the JASON Project Curriculum
a year in advance and linking it to our California State Standards … There
is no science teacher more motivated, creative, passionate, or student-centered
than Mr. George Flores.” |
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