Newsroom
County Educators Selected for Outstanding Contributions
Educator Biographies:
Administrator of the Year (Certificated) - Tie:
Barry Kayrell, Ed.D, is the Superintendent of the Beaumont Unified School District, a position he has held for three years. He has been a school administrator for 28 years. He became a teacher in 1976 at Norte Vista High School in the Alvord Unified School District and has been a superintendent in Oroville and Assistant Superintendent in the Perris Union High School District. He is a member of Rotary, the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce, Pass Area Fine Arts Board, and Pass Area Unity Day Board. Nominators said Kayrell “has chosen to live a life that matters and provide leadership that makes a difference.” They credit Kayrell with providing leadership that is improving student success and driving the district “on the road to excellence.”
Guy Romero is the Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services, for the Murrieta Valley Unified School District. He has worked as an administrator for 23 years, 18 of them in Murrieta. He began teaching in 1977 in the Orange High School District, became a teacher in Murrieta in 1981, Principal of Avaxat Elementary School in 1987, and Assistant Superintendent in 2006. He is a presenter, trainer, and author of “Career Paths and Physical Education” and “Implementation of Year Round Education.” He is a member of Community Church of the Valley and does play-by-play for the high school game of the week on KFRG Radio. He wrote, “What I want to leave as my legacy is that I left this district ready to grow to even higher levels of accomplishment.”
Administrator of the Year (Classified):
Leslie F. Ventuleth is the Chief Human Resources Officer/District Spokesperson for the Perris Union High School District. She has been an administrator for five years and served in education for 20 years. She was a school clerk the Temecula Valley Unified School District starting in 1988, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent in Temecula Valley Unified School District in 1993, and Director of Human Resources for Perris Union High School District in 2005. She is a member of the California Association of School Administrators, a presenter on media/public relations, a member of Kiwanis, and past president 23rd District PTA. She was the 2006 Classified Manager of the Year, Western Riverside County Association of School Managers. Nominators called her “dedicated, hard working and loyal” and said she combines excellent leadership for human resources with being an outstanding spokesperson for the district “always as a true professional in every sense of the word.”
Principal of the Year:
Samuel Buenrostro is the Principal of Centennial High School in the Corona-Norco Unified School District. He has served in education for 24 years, six as Principal at Centennial High School. He was a teacher at Santa Ana High School in 1989, and worked in the Riverside Unified School District from 1991-1999. He was an Assistant Principal at Centennial High School for four years before becoming Principal in 2003. He is a member of Rotary International, Association of California School Administrators, Corona-Norco PTSA, and the RUSD Latino Advisory Committee. He has been a presenter at numerous educational events, and a Golden Bell winner in 2008, and nationally recognized leader of the Professional Learning Communities movement. Nominators said he is “an inspirational and visionary leader. He is extremely well respected among his peers. Under his stewardship, Centennial High School student achievement is soaring.”
Confidential Staff Member of the Year:
Gracie L. Mendez is an Executive Secretary in Human Resources for the Riverside Unified School District. She has been a confidential staff member for five years and worked in education for 14 years. She began as a Health Assistant in Riverside Unified in 1994 and became a middle school secretary in 1997. She was promoted to Executive Secretary in 2004. She was on the School Site Council Committee at Magnolia Elementary School, PTSA President at Central Middle School, and the Education and Human Resources Services Academy Steering Committee at North High School. She was the Superintendent’s Honoree in 1997 for her community work, served on the Blueprint for Volunteer Diversity Board for the City of Riverside, and is a volunteer for the high school students camp at Calvary Chapel Oceanside. Nominators said “her exceptional interpersonal skills, sense of humor, professionalism, and compassion are a winning combination.”
Classified Staff Member of the Year (Also State Nominee):
Julie Poirer-Leyva is a school bus drive in the Lake Elsinore Unified School District. She has been a classified staff member for eight years. She is a member of the California School Employees Association and is Secretary for the Elsinore High School Agricultural Department. She is a Little League Coach and volunteer, volunteer for the Operation Home Front for military families, and volunteer for Lamplighter aiding special needs adults. Nominator said she has volunteered with the Unity in the Community Parade, holiday party, and Celebrate Our Schools Week. “Julia single handedly made our Stuff the Bus promotion a success,” they said, providing school supplies donated by generous benefactors. “Ms. Leyva is a true professional who expects nothing but the best from herself and others.”
2009 Teachers of the Year:
Sunny Kaura has taught science at Centennial High School in the Corona-Norco Unified School District for 10 years. He is currently teaching Oceanography, Natural Science, AP Environmental Science, and Astronomy. He has a Bachelor of Science and master’s degree in science from UCR, a teaching credential from University of Redlands. He is a member of the Corona-Norco Teachers Association, the California Teachers Association, is the Science Club Advisor, Science Fair Coordinator, Golden Bell winner, and recipient of a $10,000 award from BP Energy. Nominators said he “has a real burden for all students to succeed and is able to help them reach that goal.”
Katie Kearney teaches 7th Grade Language Arts at James Day Middle School in the Temecula Valley Unified School District. She has 22 years of teaching experience, 10 of them at James Day. She has a bachelor’s degree for CSU Sacramento, and a master’s degree in school administration from National University in San Diego. She wrote a manual “Five Elements to Creative Writing” which is used in Temecula, Poway and Coachella schools, wrote a Math Replacement Units and presented at workshops, and has a GATE certificate. Nominators said she is a “Super Teacher…failure is not an option in Katie’s classroom…she plans lessons around students’ needs. She consistently goes the extra mile for her students.”
Loredana Wicketts teaches third grade at Eisenhower Elementary School in the Corona-Norco Unified School District. She has 12 years of teaching experience, four of them at Eisenhower. She has a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Pomona, and a master’s degree in education from the Claremont Graduate School. She is a literacy coordinator, member of the National Honor Society, Project Wild and the Reading Success Network. Nominators said she “identifies with the English Learner students and the challenges they face…the warmth and caring she gives her students is unsurpassed…she is diligent and does whatever it takes for her students to reach their highest potential. She refuses to let a child not be successful.” She was also named a California Teacher of the Year.
For information contact:
Rick Peoples,
Public Information Officer
Telephone: (951) 826-6642
Fax: (951) 826-6199
rpeoples@rcoe.us
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