English teacher Virginia Avila and her students at Grant High School, West Campus, had a special visitor in their classroom Thursday afternoon, December 12: Sacramento Kings point guard Bobby Jackson. Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. David P. Meaney, joined Avila in welcoming the Kings player to the classroom.
Jackson related his experience growing up in North Carolina and playing professional basketball. When asked by a student who his hero was, Jackson enthusiastically praised his mother, saying that she worked tirelessly to keep him on the right path. Jackson told the students that he did well enough in high school to play basketball but wished he had studied harder because education is so important.
"Virgie" Avila was recently announced as one of five California Teachers of the Year 2003 by the California Department of Education. She is now California's candidate for National Teacher of the Year.
Bobby Jackson's appearance was made possible through the Sacramento Kings Teacher Appreciation Program. This program has been presented by this NBA team in conjunction with the Sacramento County Office of Education for 14 years. Partnering with the Sacramento Kings for the 2002-2003 Kings Teacher Appreciation Program are NECA-IBEW (National Electrical Contractors Association & the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) and Health Net.
All 16 Teachers of the Year 2003 in Sacramento County will be recognized in a Kings Teacher Appreciation Program during halftime at the Sacramento Kings vs. Utah Jazz NBA game at ARCO Arena, January 28, 2003.
Thanks to the support of the Kings Teacher Appreciation Program, Bobby Jackson will visit the classrooms of both Sacramento County Teachers of the Year 2003 this school year. Jim Jordan, an English and yearbook teacher at Del Campo High School, is a runner-up (sixth place) for the California Teacher of the Year honor.