Newsroom
Education supporters selected for Riverside County Education Hall of Fame
Five outstanding individuals have been selected for induction into the Riverside County Education Hall of Fame for their strong support of public education.
The Hall of Fame inductees will be honored along with the county classified and confidential employees, teachers, principals and administrators of the year (press release) at the Celebrating Educators Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on May 11 at the Riverside Convention Center.
The Hall of Fame inductees are:
K.R. Zack Earp is a past Board of Education member for the Alvord Unified School District. He is a decorated Vietnam veteran and Alvord graduate. He was an instructional aide, K-8 teacher, elementary and middle school principal. He served on the Board of Education for 11 years, served as a California School Boards Association Delegate Assembly member, and chaired the Education Committee at the local, state and national level of a veteran’s organization. He is currently President of the Oversight Committee for Alvord. He co-chaired the Alvord Stadium Committee that raised $300,000 and co-chaired the committee creating the Donor Wall in the Stadium Plaza. He chaired the district’s bond committee to build classrooms and is a member of many other district and community committees. Nominators said: “Mr. Earp served as an advocate for students first.”
Getty George III is a volunteer in the Alvord Unified School District. He is a retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel with a master’s degree from University of Wyoming. He co-chaired the Stadium Committee, served 16 years as a member of the Alvord Educational Foundation, helped pass Measure H bond for Hillcrest High School. He wrote several grants to support schools, including grants that helped fund science clubs at elementary schools. He is currently a booster at La Sierra and Norte Vista high schools, and is active with a program to combat obesity in middle schools. Nominators said: “Getty George is Mr. Alvord. His only motivation for helping the district is to improve and increase opportunities for students, staff and employees to reach higher levels of accomplishments.”
Nancy M. Divine is a retired district administrator for the Hemet Unified School District. She has been an educator for more than 30 years, starting as a kindergarten teacher in 1969 in Barstow. She taught in Hemet starting in 1978, earning a master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University, and served as a principal, Director of Instructional Support and Area Administrator. She helped align elementary, middle and high school curriculum, provided professional development for teachers, and served on numerous committees, including Measure T to fund improvements to schools. Nominators said: “Her contributions and personal qualities have always supported students being offered the best opportunities to learn and become competent and contributing members of society.”
Victor Giardinelli is a former member of the Board of Education in the Menifee Union School District. He served on the Board for 21 years. He was an elementary school teacher and principal in the Perris Union High School District. He served on the Riverside County Committee on School District Organization, served on the Perris Union High School District Bond Oversight Committee for Heritage High School, and served on numerous committees for the California School Boards Association and National School Boards Association. Nominators said: “Mr. Giardinelli was instrumental in guiding the District through rapid growth and the building of schools, curriculum and assessment reform and development and maintenance of positive employee relations. Vic was a ‘doer’ and never too busy to lend a helping hand or support a District or site event.”
Wanda Schneider is a regional director for the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program, which helps prepare high school students to enter college and become successful. She started teaching in 1970 in Laredo, Texas. She came to Ramona High School in Riverside in 1982, where she was a counselor and created the AVID program. It was the first AVID program outside of San Diego County. It now has 450 students and is one of the biggest AVID programs in the world. She is the Regional Program Manager for AVID, helping expand the program to more than 200 schools. Nominators said: “It would be difficult to estimate how many students have achieved the goal of a college acceptance because of her efforts. Wanda Schneider is the face of AVID in our region.”
Previously named teachers, administrators, and employees of the year:
Co-Administrator of the Year (Certificated):
Jodi McClay, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
Temecula Valley Unified School District
Co-Administrator of the Year (Certificated):
Cynthia Glover-Woods, Director of Elementary Education
Alvord Unified School District
Administrator of the Year (Classified)
Mays Kakish, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services
Beaumont Unified School District
Co-Principal of the Year
Melissa Bazanos, Principal, Edgemont Elementary School
Moreno Valley Unified School District
Co-Principal of the Year
Kyley Ybarra, Principal, Frank Augustus Miller Middle School
Riverside Unified School District
Confidential Employee of the Year:
Joyce Threadgold, Executive Secretary II
Riverside Unified School District
Classified Employee of the Year (Nominee to State):
Sue Nichols, Library Clerk
Rosa Parks Elementary School
Corona-Norco Unified School District
Site Support Employee of the Year
Patty Johnson, Student Assistance Counselor
Corona-Norco Unified School District
2010 Teachers of the Year
Meline Akashian, Temecula Valley High School
Temecula Valley Unified School District
Amber Carrow, Chemawa Middle School
Riverside Unified School District
(Also a State Teacher of the Year)
Brenda Kincaide, Valley View High School
Moreno Valley Unified School District
The Celebrating Educators Luncheon is sponsored by the Riverside County Office of Education, Altura Credit Union, and Life Touch Prestige Portraits in recognition of the county’s outstanding educators. Nominees in all categories from school districts throughout the county will be honored. The county level winners will be featured.
For information contact:
Rick Peoples,
Public Information Officer
Telephone: (951) 826-6642
Fax: (951) 826-6199
rpeoples@rcoe.us
|
