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.
Classified Employee of the Month
Consuelo Villalobos, Staff Secretary, was nominated by School Readiness Department Director Natalie Woods Andrews, Ed.D., for her contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Ms. Villalobos provides general office support to SCOE's School Readiness Department. She is the first point of telephone communication for the department and is responsible for scheduling appointments and meetings for the department directors, as well as maintaining the department events calendar. Among her tasks include keeping records and maintaining/tracking the department budget, which includes oversight of work orders, purchase orders, deposits, invoices, supply orders, conference/travel claims, and mileage claims. Ms. Villalobos supports the California Preschool Instructional Network (CPIN), funded by the California Department of Education (CDE) Child Development Division. Through regular communication with the statewide CPIN regional leads and CDE staff, she sets up and calendars statewide conference calls and videoconferences. Ms. Villalobos provides support for the CPIN Advisory and Regional Lead meetings throughout the year by arranging facilities, food and audio-visual equipment; presentation and document preparation; and registration. She maintains extensive registration and evaluation databases, and provides reports as needed. She also creates forms, presentations and other key documents that are of high, professional quality. Her supervisor reports, "Consuelo is an extremely professional, well-organized employee who maintains a positive attitude in all aspects of her work. Her strong, positive working relationships with colleagues within the department and within the agency are among her greatest assets." Ms. Villalobos is highly regarded for her customer service skills. She is extremely efficient in meeting requests from the leads, as well as CDE and WestEd staff, via phone and e-mail. In addition, she is always responsive to requests during the on-site meetings by arranging shipping or delivery of materials for the presenters and leads, and meeting last-minute AV needs and photocopy requests. Ms. Villalobos organizes events and activities for the department, including recognitions of birthdays and other observances and arranging for displays and activities at SCOE events. Because of her creativity and strong organizational skills, the School Readiness Department has been recognized for award-winning display tables each year at SCOE's Employee Recognition Day. Her supervisor concludes, "We are extremely fortunate that Consuelo has joined the School Readiness Department team. She has played a critical role in maintaining cohesion and a spirit of teamwork as the department staff has expanded over the years. We are truly grateful for her many contributions to the department." Ms. Villalobos has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since September 2006.
Certificated Employee of the Month
Dana Eagen, Program Specialist, was nominated by Dr. Natalie Woods Andrews, Director of SCOE's School Readiness Department, for his contributions to the Sacramento County Office of Education. Mr. Eagen works two-third time for Supporting Early Education Delivery Systems (SEEDS) Project, coordinated by SCOE to provide training and technical assistance across the state to local education agency staff serving young children with disabilities and their families. Additionally, he works one-third time for SCOE's California Preschool Instructional Network (CPIN), where he provides professional development, technical assistance, and on-site support to administrators and teachers in the 10-county Capital Service Region of Northern California. Mr. Eagen's job duties are many and encompass a wide variety of topical areas pertinent to early childhood with an emphasis in special education. Most recently he has focused on disseminating information on supporting English learners in home visiting programs and preschool classrooms. His supervisor reports that Mr. Eagen "possesses a vast knowledge base in the area of early childhood special education and continually strives to stay abreast of recommended practices. He has expressed a strong desire to link and support individuals through networking opportunities, and firmly believes individuals can learn so much from each other. He encourages practitioners to draw upon existing resources by working together." Mr. Eagen is passionate about including families and young children in all aspects of their daily activities and communities where they reside. He promotes a full inclusion philosophy and integrates it into the professional development he conducts. One of his fellow program specialists describes him as "a constant collaborator. He truly believes in the potential of everyone he meets and acknowledges colleagues for their assets that they bring to their work." Another colleague comments: "Dana's perspective on life is that there is always a light that shines even in the greatest of darkness. He seeks, finds and radiates that light in his daily life. He listens with empathy and focus and epitomizes the meaning of reflective practice in his work." Concludes his supervisor, "Dana is an incredibly warm, friendly, funny, and good natured person. Anyone who knows Dana does not hesitate to be on a committee or work group with him. They know he will get the job done. He exudes both a personal and a professional integrity that everyone admires and seeks to emulate." Mr. Eagen has played a critical role on the Superintendent's Preschool Committee. Most recently he was selected to be a coach for the Excellence in Early Childhood Education Leadership ExCEL training program under the auspices of the Special Education Early Childhood Administrator's (SEECAP) Project coordinated by the San Diego County Office of Education. Mr. Eagen has been employed by the Sacramento County Office of Education since August 1993.