Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/830448
Educator Excellence RON KUNNEN, a member of the Stanislaus Association of Certificated Personnel, has been named the 2017 Teacher of the Year for the Juvenile Court, Community and Alternative School Administrators of California. Kunnen teaches construction trades at the Stanislaus Military Academy in Turlock. His classes have worked with Habitat for Humanity on home construction projects, built more than 30 free community "little libraries," and constructed tables and benches for the Stanislaus County Office of Education outdoor education program, Foot- hill Horizons. JESSICA VILL ANUE VA, Fairfield-Suisun Unified Teachers Association, and KATHERINE SHAW, Bellflower Teachers Association, are winners of the 2016-17 Milken Educator Award, which celebrates and empowers outstanding educators. Villanueva, a Suisun Elementary second-grade teacher, was recognized for her work maximizing the impact of technology in her classroom. By using Google Slides for presentations and iMovie for book trailers promoting their favorite stories, her students learn research skills, collaborate with their peers, and hone their public speaking skills. Shaw, a kindergarten teacher at Washington Elementary in Bellflower, is known for her class- room energy — she is constantly in motion, engaging with her students, and shapes her approach to accommodate a variety of learning needs. She has a high number of English learners and often uses student backgrounds to personalize lessons. Villanueva and Shaw are among 33 educators nationwide who received the 2016-17 award, now in its 30th year. The honor comes with an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize. Photos courtesy Milken Family Foundation St. Hope Educators Demand a Voice In early May, a majority of educators at St. Hope Public Schools in Sacramento signed a petition asking to join the Sacramento City Teachers Association. The St. Hope charter school system was founded by former Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson; his wife, former chancellor of public schools in Washington, D.C., and controversial education "reform" advocate Michelle Rhee, is chair of its board of directors. Kingsley Melton, a law and public service educator at Sacramento High School (one of the five St. Hope schools), and his fellow educators are concerned about lack of transparency at St. Hope regarding school finances, recruitment and retention of educators and staff, professional development, and policies. " To deliver on the vision of great public schools at St. Hope, teachers and educators need a seat at the table when decisions are made that affect us and affect our students," Melton says. The petition is now with the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). The union is expected to be certified by PERB before the end of May. The St. Hope organizing committee and SCTA executive committee, from left: Alan Hill, Bob Priestley, Larry Hopper, David Fisher, Nikki Milevsky, Michelle Hanley, John Tran, Mike Lorente , Cindee Stewart, Kingsley Melton, Laura Shirley, Angelia Brye-Jones, Chesshuwa Beckett and Hasan McWhorter. 11 May / June 2017