The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is one of 58 county offices located throughout the state. Approximately 650 regular and more than 950 temporary and substitute SCOE staff work year-round providing services that complement and supplement those offered by public school districts in Sacramento County.
Classified Employees of the Month Team
Custodians Beverly Lea and James Wagnon were nominated as a team by Sly Park Environmental Education Center Director Phil Romig for their contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. They are instrumental in supporting SCOE's residential outdoor education school located within the Eldorado National Forest. The Sly Park campus, which consists of numerous classrooms, cabins and other structures situated throughout 27 acres of forested property, receives year-round maintenance from this dedicated team. Among Ms. Lea's and Mr. Wagnon's responsibilities are opening of campus each day, sanitizing and cleaning all buildings, monitoring safety and security, landscape maintenance, repairs to any part of the campus, and supply/inventory control and distribution. While their jobs vary from day to day depending on weather, emerging needs and other conditions, they more than adequately fill the requests of Sly Park staff at all times. A colleague says, "They truly are the backbone of Sly Park, and it would cease to operate as a well-oiled machine without them." Their versatility and "can do attitude" exemplified by Beverly Lea and James Wagnon make them invaluable assets to the program. This versatility is demonstrated by their taking time out of daily duties recently to assemble 28 additional cots needed to accommodate students. Another project has been to establish trail markers out of downed tree limbs to give students more opportunities to navigate the campus on trails, instead of asphalt paths. Says their supervisor, "Beverly and James are willing to do whatever it takes to please a customer. The campus has a wonderful appearance; this is due to the exemplary attention and initiative of this team. They take pride in their jobs." Ms. Lea has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since November 2005. Mr. Wagnon has been a Sacramento County Office of Education employee since June 2005.
Certificated Employee of the Month
Chris Charbonneau, a teacher, was nominated by Principal Felix Duncan for her contributions to the Juvenile Court and Community Schools Program of the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Charbonneau teaches at the Community School on Gerber Road, one of SCOE's campuses providing an educational alternative for students expelled from their home school districts in Sacramento County. As with other SCOE community schools, the Gerber Community School also serves high-risk students referred by the Probation Department. Ms. Charbonneau is a valued member of the Gerber team providing an integrated curriculum in academics, life skills, technology, and vocational education and training. As a member of the teaching staff and as the school's Teacher-In-Charge, she is very dedicated to her team and contributes significantly to the loving & nurturing atmosphere of which the Gerber team is very proud. Her supervisor says that Ms. Charbonneau is known for her sensitivity, caring, warmth, and willingness to go above and beyond. "She stands firm on her expectations of students, and they respond well to her," he says. "She always puts the student experience first—whether it is journal-writing, or a good social studies lesson and helps students make a link to the material. She embodies the essence of SCOE's LINKS model. Her ability to establish relationships with parents, students, staff, and visitors to the school, as well we reaching out to maintain contact with parents, makes her an exemplary representative of SCOE. She wants very much to see her students succeed." Ms. Charbonneau has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since August 1998.