A 5th grade teacher from the San Juan Unified School District and a math teacher from the Twin Rivers Unified School District are the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year 2011, the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) announced September 1st at a countywide teacher recognition banquet.
Shannan Brown, who teaches 5th grade at Thomas Edison Elementary School in the San Juan District, and Kadhir Rajagopal, who teaches mathematics at Grant Union High School in Twin Rivers, were selected from among 15 Sacramento-area teachers to represent the county in the California Teachers of the Year competition.
A community selection committee comprised of education professionals, including previous Teachers of the Year, met to interview each local district Teacher of the Year and selected the two finalists.
All 15 Sacramento-area teachers will be honored when the Sacramento Kings host the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, February 4, 2011, at ARCO Arena. The Sacramento River Cats will also host a special Teacher Appreciation Night on Monday, May 2, 2011, when the River Cats host the Salt Lake Bees.
All of the school districts within the County of Sacramento, along with the Sacramento County Office of Education, are invited each year to participate in the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Program. Larger districts are eligible to submit two entries. Eleven local districts including the Sacramento County Office of Education participated this year. Each district's Teacher of the Year completed a comprehensive application packet, which included an extensive biography and answered questions ranging from personal philosophy of teaching to an understanding of current educational issues.
During the awards banquet, each district Teacher of the Year was introduced by either a current or former student. David W. Gordon, County Superintendent of Schools, and trustees from the Sacramento County Board of Education presented each of the Teachers of the Year with an inscribed award.
Outgoing Teachers of the Year 2010 Deb House and JoEllen Shanks announced the names of their successors. County School Board Trustee Greg Geeting presented the winners with the Elinor Lincoln Hickey Award of Merit, the highest honor bestowed by the County Board of Education. Russell Godt, representing the Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry, awarded a perpetual trophy to the County Teachers of the Year.
Shannan Brown and Kadhir Rajagopal now are eligible to advance to the statewide competition, out of which five teachers will be chosen as California Teachers of the Year.
The five California Teachers of the Year are responsible for representing the teaching profession in a variety of settings and assisting their teaching colleagues in numerous ways throughout the calendar year of 2011. Their names, along with the name of the individual selected as the state's nominee to the National Teacher of the Year Program, will be announced later in the fall by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Program is presented by the Sacramento County Office of Education in partnership with Maloof Sports and Entertainment, the Sacramento River Cats, the Intel Corporation Folsom and the
Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry.
| Photo | Teacher |
|---|---|
 |
Leslie Macek Center Joint Unified School District Cyril Spinelli Elementary School 4th/5th grade combination class Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
Sandra Glaeser Elk Grove Unified School District Stone Lake Elementary School Kindergarten Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
Theresa Rodriguez Elk Grove Unified School District Elizabeth Pinkerton Middle School Humanities/English Language Arts & History Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
Sarah Kirby-Gonzalez Folsom Cordova Unified School District Navigator Elementary School 5th grade Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
Jana Din Galt Joint Union High School District Galt High School Interior Design/ROP Careers with Children & Child Development Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
Linda Pugh Natomas Unified School District Natomas Park Elementary School Kindergarten Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
Sarah Sneed River Delta Unified School District Delta High School Earth Science/Biology/Chemistry/Physics Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
Ben Torrecampo Robla School District Robla School 5th grade Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
John Castro Sacramento City Unified School District Earl Warren Elementary School 4th/5th/6th grade looped class Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
Carl Johnson Sacramento City Unified School District American Legion High School Math Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
Barbara Modlin Sacramento County Office of Education Elinor L. Hickey Jr./Sr. High School Multiple Subjects/LINKS Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
Shannan Brown • Selected as County TOY 2011 San Juan Unified School District Thomas Edison Elementary School 5th grade Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
Kirsten Thomas San Juan Unified School District Greer Elementary School 5th grade Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
Kadhir Rajagopal • Selected as County TOY 2011 Twin Rivers Unified School District Grant Union High School Math Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |
 |
Sharon Smith Twin Rivers Unified School District Regency Park Elementary School 3rd grade Studio Interview (YouTube) Banquet Speech (YouTube) |