NEWS RELEASE -- Teachers of the Year Honored by San Diego Unified School District

NEWS RELEASE from the San Diego Unified School District, May 3, 2012

TEACHERS OF THE YEAR HONORED BY SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

SAN DIEGO -- Three teachers get the big honors, but each San Diego Unified
school's teacher of the year will be honored during ceremonies Tuesday
night at Madison High School.

A former nurse, a high-school dropout and a second-generation staff member
are this year's San Diego Unified Teachers of the Year. They, along with
runners up, are eligible to compete for the San Diego County Teacher of
the Year.

This year's teachers are: Elle Vandiver, biomedical sciences, University
City High School; Joey Lepetri, English/history/video, Marshall Middle
School; and Patti Read, third grade Special Education,
Lindbergh/Schweitzer Elementary School.

Tuesday's ceremony will honor Teachers of the Year from each school, along
with the new National Board Certified Teachers. In addition, the San Diego
Education Fund will introduce its 2011-12 Future Educator Scholars, MASHIN
Scholars and STEM Scholar. It is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 8,
at Madison High School, 4833 Dolvia Drive. The event is free and open to
the public; it is also a regular Board of Education meeting.

³Few other professionals touch as many people as teachers do,² said
Superintendent Bill Kowba. ³This year¹s Teachers of the Year, selected by
a committee of their peers, are an extraordinary group of individuals who
exhibit passion for their profession and compassion for their students in
their own unique ways. They are representative of the thousands of
district teachers who each day inspire and enable students to work hard,
strive for their best and ultimately achieve success.²


Read discovered her interest in teaching students who face physical and
health challenges at the age of five, when she started spending her summer
vacations volunteering in her father¹s medical therapy unit that was
housed at Lindbergh/Schweitzer. In her 32 years of experience, she has
enjoyed a lifetime of celebrating her students¹ accomplishments.

³I want students to always feel successful in whatever they're doing," she
said. "At the same time, what are we learning from it, and what skills are
we
getting from this?"

Lepetri struggled as a young student, eventually dropping out of high
school. Today, he looks to make connections with students who are growing
up in tough circumstances. Once that connection is made, learning comes
easier.

"When I was 19, I realized that I was missing something in my life, and
that was my education," he said. "The educational journey transformed my
life."

Vandiver began her career as a registered nurse in Michigan. She
discovered her passion for teaching after working with high school interns
in her hospital¹s intensive care unit. Now in her 12th year of teaching,
Vandiver strives to help her students see connections between the
curriculum and the real world, having seen more than 20 of her students
become nurses, as well as doctors, medical researchers and other
occupations in the medical field. Her challenging courses also let
students know if the field is really for them.

"Taking this real-world knowledge and bringing it to the kids is what I
strive for every day," she said. "Because I have that background, I can
open doors."

Read, Lepetri and Vandiver will compete for San Diego County Teacher of
the Year, along with the district¹s three Runners-up, Garth Hebbler from
Rolando Park Elementary, Steven Santana from Lewis Middle School, and
Michael Pedersen from Serra High.


# # #

Jack Brandais
Communications Department
San Diego Unified School District
(619) 725-5570 (desk)
(619) 607-0477 (cell)

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