Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Kenneth M. Young today (Thursday, May 12, 2011) announced that three Riverside County Teachers of the Year for 2012 have been selected after paying surprise visits to their classrooms in Palm Springs, Corona and Riverside.

The Riverside County Teachers of the Year are traditionally selected now so they may participate in the 2012 State Teacher of the Year competition. The three teachers are selected from among more than 18,000 teachers in the county’s 23 local school districts. State winners are typically announced in November, and one state winner will enter the National Teacher of the Year contest. The National Teacher of the Year will be named next May.

The 2012 Riverside County Teachers of the Year are:

Jeffrey James Ballew teaches at Cielo Vista Charter School in the Palm Springs Unified School District. He has been a teacher for five years. He taught previously at Cahuilla Elementary in the same district. Ballew has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from San Diego State University. He is on the District Assistance and Intervention Team (DAIT), a math facilitator, and was a member of the Cahuilla Elementary WIRED Committee, developing lesson plans using Apple laptops. Nominators said “Jeffrey’s passion for teaching comes from his heart, which is evidenced every day through the eyes of the students he teaches and teachers he inspires.” His involvement in Science Fair Night, Walk to School Wednesdays, and Opera in the Park proves “he is a community teacher as well, and believes that parents must be on the same page to fully educate their children.”

Jessica Fuller is a language arts and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) teacher at Santiago High School in the Corona-Norco Unified School District. She has been teaching for seven years, all at Santiago High. She has a bachelor’s degree in education and master’s degree in educational leadership from Chapman University. She is the Language Arts Department Chair, EL (English Learners) Professional Learning Community Instructional Leader, EL Pacing Guide Contributor, Crystal Apple Award recipient and AVID Teacher of the Year in 2009. Nominators said she is an “invaluable, resourceful, dynamic, and student-centered teacher.” Her work with AVID and EL students stood out, as well as her involvement with the Invisible Children Club to promote social awareness of genocide and use of child soldiers in Uganda. “Invisible Children has become a powerful force on our campus,” nominators said.

Michele Lynn Hampton is an AP and Honors Chemistry teacher at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside. She has been a teacher 14 years, four of them at Martin Luther King. She previously taught at Rubidoux and Arlington high schools. She has a bachelor’s degree in science from UCR and a master’s degree in Educational Technology from National University. She is the Science Fair coordinator, Science Club and Mock Trial advisor, and has been a District Assessment and District Instructional Committee member. She was the Western Municipal Water District Educator of the Year, and was given a fellowship trip to Brazil by the Earthwatch Institute. Nominators said she “is a talented, dedicated, and committed teacher who consistently goes out of her way to provide first-rate opportunities for kids.”

County winners are chosen by a selection committee that includes former Teachers of the Year. The selection is based on information from nominators and site visits.

Locally, the 2012 Riverside County Teachers of the Year will be honored with administrators, confidential and classified employees in May 2012 at the Celebrating Educators event held in Riverside.