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 Employee of the Month
Linda Koontz, Evaluation, Research and Assessment Analyst, was nominated by Director of Assessment Operations Amy Barr for her contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Koontz works in C-SAPA, the Center for Student Assessment and Program Accountability. Her chief responsibility has been to coordinate administration of exams for SCOE students; exams include the CELDT (California English Language Development Test), CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam), PFT (Physical Fitness Test), and STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) test. Ms. Koontz is regarded as a central figure in several of the Center's projects, performing key roles in the statewide California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) and the Sacramento County Academic Decathlon. Extremely dependable, she has been relied upon to handle many behind the scenes tasks that occur on a daily basis including financial deposits, website uploads, and managing databases. Her supervisor says, "Linda is a joy to work with and is always willing to take on new projects. She is always positive and willing to give of herself, as demonstrated by her willingness to give of her time to make special recipes for special occasions, to organize the Center's annual holiday 'adopt-a-family' activity, and her volunteering in her church and community. Linda Koontz exemplifies the characteristics that make her an ideal co-worker and friend. She is well deserving of this recognition." Ms. Koontz, who is retiring from SCOE this month, has been a Sacramento County Office of Education employee since 1986.
Certificated Employee of the Month
Nancy Blackburn, a teacher, was nominated by Principal Stephen Wright for her contributions to the Juvenile Court and Community Schools Program of the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Blackburn teaches at Esperanza Junior-Senior High School, which is located within the Warren E. Thornton Youth Center operated by the Sacramento County Probation Department. Her concentration is in English/language arts, science, and supplemental instruction helping students prepare for the California High School Exit Exam. In addition to exemplary work with students in the classroom, Ms. Blackburn chairs the campus Site Council. She organizes meetings, monitors Site Council activities in relation to state guidelines, and ensures that project completion timelines are met. Her supervisor says, "Ms. Blackburn is the quintessential professional educator. Her dedication to her craft is second to none." She currently serves on a committee whose purpose is bringing the arts, in the form of blues music, to all of SCOE's juvenile court and community school classrooms. In this effort, she has enlisted the support of a local program—"Blues to Schools"—to offer students the opportunity to learn the history of the blues and have the hands-on experience of writing lyrics and having them put to music. In 1998 Ms. Blackburn was chosen as SCOE's Teacher of the Year. She has also served as a SCOE Mentor Teacher. Concludes her supervisor, "Ms. Blackburn is innovative and continues to build her repertoire to better meet the changing needs of her charges. Our school is a better place because of her hard work and our students leave us with a much better opportunity to be successful in their individual communities, as a result of her efforts." Ms. Blackburn has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since 1979.