February 2012 Classified Employee of the Month

Nathan Hirth, Database Designer, was nominated by Director of Development and Training Connie Lee for his contributions to the K-12 Curriculum and Intervention Department of the Sacramento County Office of Education. Mr. Hirth develops and maintains the structural design of various systems, applications and databases for custom database-driven websites used for professional development. These systems include Client Account Manager (CAM), Event Management System (EMS), eStandards, and eProfessional Development (ePD). He has been instrumental in designing new online professional development courses and resources to support California's Common Core State Standards. The availability of quality online professional development for teachers and administrators has been limited; however, by creating online courses like ePD and resources like eStandards, SCOE will be increasing the distribution of high-quality professional development in the field, regardless of a user's geographic location or resource limitations. eStandards will be the first mobile app (application) of its type supporting the new state standards. Mr. Hirth's supervisor reports, "Nathan is always willing to take on a challenging project and is well-respected by colleagues for his in-depth knowledge about database design and technology. He is also a team player who is constantly ready to assist a fellow staff member or a client." Mr. Hirth has been a Sacramento County Office of Education employee since November 2008.

February 2012 Certificated Employee of the Month

Mary Larson, School Nurse, was nominated by Principal Sharon Holstege for her contributions to the Special Education Department of the Sacramento County Office of Education. She provides nursing support to students in SCOE's SH (Severely Handicapped) Program who range in age from kindergarten through young adult. Through her efforts, SCOE classrooms are able to serve students who are medically frail and have complex health issues. Daily, SCOE Special Education staff work with students with tracheotomies, gastrostomy (gastric feeding) tubes, seizure disorders, complicated diets, severe allergic reactions, numerous surgeries/procedures, and reliant upon a variety of medications. Ms. Larson's supervisor says, "Mary is always willing to go above and beyond to do the right things for our students and their families. Her calm presence, professionalism and competence have been a comfort to teachers and administrators as we encounter students with unique health characteristics and complex medical situations." Ms. Larson accompanies families to medical appointments to help bridge the gap between school and the medical community, and she goes to families' homes to help gather and share critical medical information. Reports Ms. Larson's supervisor, "A work day for a special education nurse may encompass a trip in an ambulance to the emergency room with a student...a sensitive conversation with a parent about the child's 'Do Not Resuscitate' order...a call to Child Protective Services...coordination with a child's medical team regarding specialized health care...diagnosing and consulting in regard to a child's health status at school...trying to mobilize resources for a child to get a new wheelchair or a medical appointment...and so much more. Mary performs all of these activities in a supportive way. She is committed to making in a difference in the lives of her students and their families—and she has." In addition to being named as SCOE's Certificated Employee of the Month in November 1998, Ms. Larson was named by the California School Nurses Organization as Northern Section School Nurse of the Year for 2005-06. Ms. Larson has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since July 1996.

January 2012 Classified Employee of the Month

Michael Freeman, Accounting Technician, was nominated by Financial Services Coordinator Sharmila LaPorte for his contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Mr. Freeman works at SCOE's Mather site in the Accounts Payable unit of the Financial Services Department. With his two colleagues, he is responsible for processing and paying all of SCOE's vendor bills. His supervisor says, "Mr. Freeman is diligent in collecting information necessary to process a payment, which often means spending time on the phone with a vendor to clear up a bill or with a SCOE department to gather paperwork together. Quick, earnest and efficient are a few ways to describe his approach to work." The standard review conducted by Accounts Payable staff represents the "final set of eyes" on a payment before it is paid. According to his supervisor, "Mr. Freeman takes this responsibility very seriously and will treat each payment as if he is the first person to look at it. His work speaks for itself and this is evident in his final work product." Mr. Freeman is also responsible for collecting and maintaining W-9 (request for taxpayer identification number) forms from SCOE vendors.  He worked with colleagues to establish and maintain a database to monitor W-9 forms as they are requested and received. Mr. Freeman is known for his ability to problem-solve and deal patiently with vendors when occasional difficulties arise, meeting with vendor representatives and helping resolve issues. Concludes his supervisor, "What I most appreciate about Mr. Freeman is that he will tackle any new project with a professional 'can-do' attitude. He has approached me on more than one occasion to express his willingness to take on additional tasks and projects as needed to help Financial Services. It is a real pleasure to have Mr. Freeman working in Accounts Payable." Mr. Freeman has been a SCOE employee since April 2006.

January 2012 Certificated Employee of the Month

Matt Silva, Community Schools Teacher, was nominated by Principal Lisa Alcalá for his contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Mr. Silva serves at Elinor Lincoln Hickey Jr./Sr. High School, teaching high school students in a self-contained classroom. In his unique class, students receive the majority of their curriculum via computer. Mr. Silva has been instrumental in planning and creating SCOE's first-ever credit recovery lab -- greatly benefiting the many students who enter E.L. Hickey School with academic deficiencies. His supervisor says, "Mr. Silva has established a classroom setting with high standards where his students achieve." Mr. Silva has been described by his co-workers as very compassionate with his students. He is successful, his supervisor says, because he is fair, consistent and diligent. He is dedicated to seeing that his students learn and succeed. Concludes his supervisor, "Mr. Silva is an important asset to the E.L. Hickey campus, and we are very happy that he is part of our team." Mr. Silva has been employed by SCOE since August 1996.

November 2011 Classified Employees of the Month

Darcie Magana, MIS Specialist, and Lynn Twang, Staff Secretary, were nominated as a team by Information Services Coordinator Chris Gilbert for their contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Magana and Ms. Twang work in SCOE's Student Information Systems and Reporting Department at SCOE's Mather site. Both employees were of tremendous help to SCOE school sites at the beginning of the current year. Starting in July the two were asked to assist SCOE Juvenile Court and Community Schools leadership through a difficult period of transition due to fewer school site support staff, principal re-assignments and new procedures. Their supervisor says, "Darcie and Lynn have done an excellent job supporting our school sites through training, assisting with tasks and identifying new and efficient processes to enroll students and track their information." Both individuals possess strong understanding of the technology used in SCOE attendance programs and have been instrumental in offering new ideas for developing critical reports and new processes; this has resulted in improving how student information is collected, retained and disseminated. The team's combined knowledge and work ethic—and belief that their efforts have an immediate and direct impact on students' education—were key contributors to the successful transition. Thanks to the work of Ms. Magana and Ms. Twang, SCOE students transitioning back to their home districts are able to leave with complete educational records. Concludes their supervisor, "Lynn and Darcie were happy to step up and take on any job—no matter how great or how small—and they helped out wherever the need arose. Both are model employees who consistently show up for work with a positive, professional attitude, regardless of the task at hand. The exemplary efforts of these two have ensured that every enrolled student's current and historical information was captured, stored and available to instructors on the first day of school." Ms. Magana has been a Sacramento County Office of Education employee since January 2001; Ms. Twang has been a SCOE employee since October 2006.

November 2011 Certificated Employee of the Month

Cindy Tanaka, School Counselor, was nominated by Principal Philip Moore for her contributions to the Juvenile Court Schools program of the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Tanaka serves students who attend SCOE's El Centro Jr./Sr. High School campus located within Sacramento Juvenile Hall. She performs crisis intervention on an ongoing basis, as well as overseeing a comprehensive student counseling program that covers issues such as anger management, life skills, self-esteem, and drug and alcohol use. Among her key responsibilities are assisting with the intake of new students to help ensure that their needs are met, evaluating their transcripts, and assessing their needs and progress. Mr. Tanaka is very devoted to her students and staff and a great example of being a team player by leading by example. Principal Moore states, "Cindy is a great person to work with. She has a can-do attitude and she helps our team out in any way she can. She is truly one of our important cornerstones who helps ensure our continuing progress and success on behalf of students." Ms. Tanaka has been employed by SCOE since August 1998.