Riverside educator is selected as a California Teacher of the Year

A Riverside Unified School District history teacher was among five grade school educators named today as California “Teachers of the Year.”

Amber Carrow, a seventh-grade world history instructor at Chemawa Middle School, was selected by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, based on a review conducted by a state selection committee, according to the California Department of Education.

The other four awardees are: Kelly Kovacic, a social studies teacher at The Preuss School in San Diego; Kathy Martin, a physical science teacher at Sierra Vista Middle School in Irvine; Melanie Tolan, an English teacher at the Sarah Anthony School in San Diego; and Valerie Ziegler, a history and economics teacher at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco.

O’Connell said each of the honorees “has many stories to tell about overcoming obstacles, achieving goals and igniting inspiration.”

“I am honored to congratulate each of them, and I hope that their successes will encourage other educators and aspiring teachers who are working to make a difference in students’ lives,” he said.

O’Connell chose Kovacic to represent the state in the 2010 “National Teacher of the Year” competition.

According to the superintendent’s office, the Teacher of the Year program was initiated in 1972 to pay tribute to educators who demonstrate exceptional presentation skills, rapport with students and methods of teaching.

A review panel uses that criteria in evaluating all applicants, according to the Department of Education. Recommendations are forwarded to the superintendent, who makes the final decision on which five to select.

“I am extremely proud of all teachers, here in California, as well as across the nation, who in the past year have had to endure devastating cutbacks in funding and programs … and elimination of positions,” O’Connell said.

“It is more important than ever to honor people who chose to become teachers and to celebrate this most noble of professions.”

Carrow has been teaching for six years, all of which have been spent at Chemawa.

The school’s principal, Sean Curtin, praised her for creating “a positive and exciting learning environment in her classroom.”

During a recent trip to Nova Scotia to conduct climate change research, Carrow remained in daily contact with her students via the Internet.

“I work very hard to take my class from ordinary to extraordinary,” she wrote in her award application. “I attempt to bring history to life through a variety of teaching skills and hands-on learning techniques.”

Carrow earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in social studies and education from Pitzer College in Claremont and Claremont Graduate University, respectively.

Tags: Chemawa Middle School, Kathy Martin, Kelly Kovacic, Melanie Tolan, Riverside Unified School District, Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, SWRNN, Valerie Ziegler

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 6:45 pm and is filed under Education, Local News, News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.