Sacramento County Board of Education Recognizes
February 2008 Employees of the Month
Posted February 15, 2008
The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is one of 58 county offices located throughout the state. Approximately 700 full-time and more than 2,500 part-time SCOE staff work year-round providing services which complement and supplement those offered by public school districts in the County of Sacramento. Over 230,000 K-12 students are served by public schools in Sacramento County.
February 2008 Classified Employee of the Month
Robin Satow, a Computer Technology Support/Trainer, was nominated by Telecommunications and Data Network Coordinator Travis Ketchum for her contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. A member of the Computer, Network and Telecommunication Support (CNTS) Department, Ms. Satow provides computer and technical support to SCOE teachers, administrators and support staff in various departments, including Special Education, Juvenile Court and Community Schools, and the Regional Occupational Program. Ms. Satow's key responsibilities include troubleshooting computer hardware and software problems, assisting the network and telephone administrative staff in resolving data and telecommunication issues, and creating training schedules for staff development in a variety of software programs and operating systems. Ms. Satow's attendance record is exemplary and her supervisors appreciate her promptness and easygoing demeanor. Her supervisors report, "Robin is very personable and well-liked in our department. Her co-workers and customers enjoy working with her on a daily basis." A school principal states, "Robin has a great rapport with our staff and pays attention to their customized computer settings and requirements." In addition to her daily job duties, Ms. Satow monitors and tracks all computer software purchased by the organization to ensure SCOE is meeting license compliance requirements. This added responsibility required the creation of a complex tracking system that Ms. Satow designed and implemented herself, which was a very difficult project. "Robin is extremely dependable," her supervisor reports. "If I ask her to complete a task, I know it will get taken care of. If she comes across a problem she can't solve, she'll stick with it until she finds a solution." Ms. Satow is known for her teamwork, always willing to provide help when other technicians encounter problems of their own, and she doesn't fear to ask her co-workers for help or ideas if she encounters a truly difficult problem. A school employee says, "No request is too big for Robin. She responds quickly and is always willing to help!" Ms. Satow continually improves and expands her technical expertise by attending online seminars and training courses on her own time. She has served on the Employee Recognition Day planning committee and supports other SCOE efforts in many ways. Following her service as a SCOE Student Assistant, Ms. Satow became an employee of the Sacramento County Office of Education in September 1986.
February 2008 Certificated Employee of the Month
Michelle DeMenno, a teacher, was nominated by Principal Linda Mitchell for her contributions to the Juvenile Court and Community Schools Program of the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. DeMenno teaches English/Language Arts to incarcerated high school students who are below grade level in reading. She works at SCOE's Carson Creek Jr.-Sr. High School campus located within the Sacramento County Boys Ranch, a facility operated by the Sacramento County Probation Department. Her supervisor says, "Michelle is expert at engaging students in learning, which is one of the California Teaching Standards. High school students who read at a third grade level generally have a negative attitude towards school. Michelle utilizes a wide array of imaginative strategies with them—art, drama, skits, plays, games, poetry, drawing, story-writing, contests, acting, and school newspaper—involving students to make individual personal connections to the skills being taught. This ability may sound simple but it is actually very difficult. She invests time and imagination in creating lessons. As a result, the students respect her and learn for her and themselves." The Carson Creek Chronicle, a publication written and produced by Ms. DeMenno's journalism class, is just one way her students put into actual practice their newly acquired academic skills.
Concludes Ms. DeMenno's supervisor, "Michelle has been a key person in the growth and development of the academic program at Carson Creek. She seeks out and participates in professional development, always looking for a new angle to interest the students." Ms. DeMenno has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since September 1983.
Contact Information
The Sacramento County Office of Education celebrates the accomplishments and exemplary service of its employees through the Employees of the Month Program. Parents, colleagues, and community members wishing to recommend a non-management staff member for consideration as a Sacramento County Office of Education Employee of the Month may receive a nomination form through the Communications Office by calling (916) 228-2416 or e-mailing Cathy Sapunor.
