Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1060790
The 2019 California Teachers of the Year make a difference in young people's lives In October, State Superin- tendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson named the 2019 California Teachers of the Year, four of whom are CTA members. Torlakson praised the edu- cators' deep commitment, hard work and creativity. "They make profound differ- ences in their students' lives and provide students the tools they need to succeed," he said in a press statement. "They're an inspiration and an example of the excep- tional work going on in California schools." The Teachers of the Year — who will act as ambassadors for the profession — were initially nominated by their county offices of education; a California Department of Education (CDE) selection committee reviewed their applications and conducted site visits before interviews. This year's winners: Agents of Change MICHAEL HENGES, a 12th grade government and econom- ics teacher at Redondo Union High School, is also a 2019 California Teacher of the Year, but not a CTA member. ROSIE REID Mt. Diablo Education Association G R A D E S 9 – 12 , E N G L I S H Northgate High School , Walnut Creek " Often teachers feel that if they are thinking about issues of equity and implicit bias, they must compro- mise rigor for all students to be successful; in fact, it is by helping our most socially marginalized stu- dents develop literacy (and numeracy) skills that we achieve social equity." Torlakson has nominated Reid as California's representative in the competition for National Teacher of the Year, to be named in Spring 2019. Reid has been teaching for 16 years, the last two at Northgate High. She was the first in her family to go to college, largely because of her educators' efforts, and she became a teacher to pay this forward. She has taught every level of high school English and is part of the English Learner Review Team to mon- itor English learners and mentor teachers. Most recently, she founded and leads an equity task force at her school. Reid uses standardized test data to see individual student progress, identify patterns with groups of students, and reme- diate achievement gaps for marginalized students. She selects materials from a diverse range of authors and articles about relevant and compelling social issues so every student sees themselves in the coursework, feels the work matters, and real- izes their voices matter. "I strive to be a status quo disruptor and an agent of social justice, while engaging in a rigorous, standards-based English curriculum," Reid said. 66 cta.org CTA & You