CTA congratulates the five remarkable CTA members who have been named California Teachers of the Year for 2009 -- and the one, Alex Kajitani, who was nominated National Teacher of the Year.
The five Teachers of the Year, as well as eight semifinalists, will be honored February 9, 2009, in Sacramento. Jack O'Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, announced that Alex Kajitani will represent California in the National Teacher of the Year Program competition. The national winner will be selected in the spring of 2009 by a panel convened by the Council of Chief State School Officers. All candidates for the National Teacher of the Year Program will be honored at a White House ceremony.
Read the press release on the National nominee
Read the press release on the Teachers of the Year
Get information on the Teachers of the Year program
Science Teacher
Lexington Junior High School Anaheim
Union High School District (Orange County)
“As a science teacher, I would hope to make a special connection with other scientists and engineers, given the acute need for math and science teachers across the nation," explains Mr. Inman. "Teaching science has allowed me to reap the best of two worlds: I am still a scientist engaged on a daily basis, but I also feel the added rewards that can only come from teaching young people and playing a role in their development. To raise the level of science literacy, we need to infuse a more active curriculum into our schools as early as possible. I believe that the key to getting and keeping students interested is ensuring that they are doing science, not just learning about science, from a very young age.”
Mr. Inman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from McGill University in Montreal, Canada in 1984, and a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Oxford in 1990.
Mathematics Teacher
Mission Middle School
Escondido Union Elem. School District
(San Diego County)
“Teaching is not just what we do; it is what we are," says Mr. Kajitani. "We are a group of dedicated, passionate professionals who enter our classrooms each morning not only to teach our students about the world as it is, but for the world as it can be. We live on a planet shaped by war, hunger, disease, and the destruction of our environment. Yet we also live in a world in which we can invoke in our students the determination and knowledge to create peace, equity and compassion. By being teachers, and embodying the commitment that is inherent to living and working as teachers, we are inspiring, creating, and invoking in our students the pride and confidence to make this world a better place.”
Mr. Kajitani earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1995, and a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction from San Diego State University in 2004.
Social Studies and US History Teacher
Sylmar Senior High School
Los Angeles Unified School District
“I am a teacher. I bring beauty to this world through my teaching as much as my brother does through his paintings," explains Mr. Navarro. "I am able to exercise a vision and see things others simply do not, though my lessons. And as all artists do, I use my environment for inspiration and my heart as a guide. Teaching is how I share my heart with the world. Teaching is my vocation and with any vocation it takes discipline, self reflection, studying and practice to hone a skill and make it an art. I have dedicated myself to becoming the best teacher I can for no other reason than my students deserve it.”
Mr. Navarro earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Oregon University in 1995. Presently he is enrolled in the Graduate School of Education at Mount St. Mary’s College.
Choral Music Teacher
Vintage High School
Napa Valley Unified School District
“There is overwhelming evidence that music improves academic performance and provides a creative outlet for teenagers," says Mr. Teeters. "Music has always had the power to make languages, culture and history come alive in ways unrivaled by any textbook. Our kids have sung in at least twenty different languages from Hungarian to Hebrew. Classroom discussion on the texts of songs has opened students’ hearts and minds to the beauty of poetry…music operates in not just the factual realm, but also in an emotional one. In a time when many teenagers are disaffected at home, alienated or separated from adults and sometimes even from their peers, music connects them in real ways.”
Mr. Teeters earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education at Northern Arizona University in 1993 and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Oklahoma in 1999.
3rd Grade Teacher
Eisenhower Elementary
Corona-Norco Unified School District
“As humans, we have an obligation to the global stability and future of our planet. Teachers and all community members must have a greater vision than test scores, economic success, and national development," says Ms. Wicketts. "I believe that teachers can no longer be mere dispensers of information. We must aid in the development of human beings that have respect for this precious and delicate world. Educators, communities and governments need to form a broader coalition to implement reforms that will develop strong, well-rounded youth that are equipped to face the challenges of the future.”
Ms. Wicketts earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies in 1994 from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, with an emphasis on Ethnic and Women’s Studies. Her Master’s in Education was earned in 1996 at the Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, California.