SAN DIEGO (September 20, 2008) –Five local educators selected from a field of 43 nominees were named San Diego County Teachers of the Year during the 18th annual "Cox Presents: A Salute to Teachers brought to you by Ashford University" in cooperation with the San Diego County Office of Education.  The sold-out annual event honored San Diego County’s public school teachers and was televised live on Channel 4 San Diego.

The 2008-09 San Diego County Teachers of the Year are: Theodosia Ballard, Walter J. Porter North Elementary (San Diego Unified School District); Alex Kajitani, Mission Middle School (Escondido Union School District); Billy Dean Kvitli, Valley Center Primary School (Valley Center – Pauma Unified School District); Patricia Midori Blome, San Ysidro High School (Sweetwater Union High School District); and Tom Waldron Valhalla High School (Grossmont Union High School District).

The five teachers of the year will go on to represent San Diego County in the California Teacher of the Year program, which will be announced later this year. Nominees for San Diego County Teacher of the Year were selected by their school districts based on student achievement, teaching philosophy, familiarity with current issues in education and community involvement.

Theodosia Ballard considers herself to be a “drum major for education.” As a fifth-grade teacher at Walter J. Porter North Elementary, she relies on the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child, “but adds, “It also takes a village to educate a child.” She describes her classroom as organized chaos, where traditional desks are absent and students sit around round tables ready to become active, where effort rises above excuses and silence is not golden. As a young child, she found her passion for teaching while volunteering as a tutor at the Girls Club of San Diego.  Yet during junior high school, she says her passion was extinguished by the teachers that only allowed participation and inspiration to white students. Ballard is concerned with the fallacy of the No Child Left Behind Act, the perceived achievement gap and the lack of funding for visual and performing arts programs. She earned a master’s degree from San Diego State University, is working towards a doctorate and has been teaching for 14 years.

Alex Kajitani is otherwise known as “The Rappin Mathematician.” He earned this moniker as a first-year teacher because he needed to find a way to connect to his students.  Since his kids didn’t understand the concepts of adding and subtracting decimals, he went home, made up a rap song called “The Itty- Bitty Dot” and performed the song the next day to his students. Despite the disastrous results of his performance, the kids did respond, stating it was the best day ever in class. Kajitani attributes this positive response to the connection he made by using language his students understood. Now Kajitani, who teaches mathematics to eight-grade students at Mission Middle School, raps all the time about the math concepts he teaches. Special “guests” also regularly appear in his classroom including The Math-Magician and The Math-Mystery-Detective to make sure that math is fun and relevant.  He earned a master’s degree from San Diego State University, has garnered awards and local media coverage for his unique teaching style and has been teaching for eight years, three years in his current position.

The foundation of Billy Dean Kvitli’s teaching method is the Cycle of Inquiry, where a continuous motion of assessment, standards-based planning, instruction and assessment flow. As a second-grade teacher at Valley Center Primary School, Kvitli originally managed a successful business before delving into the teaching profession as a volunteer at Children’s Hospital’s classroom for kids. His classroom offers an environment that is open, loving, safe and child centered. Kvitli believes that every child in America should attend a great public school, and that everyone, including politicians, educators, parents, community, families, businesses and government must fulfill the promise of a public education that prepares every student to succeed. Two of the greatest issues that concern him are budget cuts and standard testing. He holds a master’s degree from National University and has been teaching for 11 years.

Patricia Midori Blome had career aspirations of becoming a free-lance travel writer, making a living by selling her global adventures to magazines. But in her second year of college, she realized that becoming a teacher was her calling. Blome, who teaches English to ninth-and tenth-grade students at San Ysidro High School, says that one of her greatest accomplishments has been to turn non-readers into avid readers. Community involvement is also important to her, and one of her most successful community partnerships began with a cold call to the La Raza Bar Association because she had some male students who desperately needed positive male role models. Blome also transformed her classroom for three days a week into an after-school gathering spot called Starbooks Café for students to collaborate on homework and read in a coffee-house atmosphere. Blome has a master’s degree from National University and has been a teacher for15 years.

Teacher Tom Waldron begins each year by telling his 12th-grade students that he considers it a personal insult if they fail his class. As an English teacher at Valhalla High School, Waldron loves days when completely unexpected growth happens in his class. Two former teachers – and seven years of working behind a grocery store check-stand – convinced him that he was destined to teach. Described as a campus sage by a colleague, Waldron believes that passion, humor, dedication to excellence and a commitment to making every student feel included, honored and respected are key to being a successful teacher. As a resident in the community he teaches, Waldron has coached AYSO soccer, is the master of ceremonies for the Senior Awards Assembly, has sung in a barbershop quartet for the vocal music spring Pops concert and is a board member of the San Diego Chapter of the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). He has been teaching for 32 years and has master’s degree from San Diego State University. 

Rounding out the 10 finalists were: Wendy Craig, El Camino Creek Elementary; (Encinitas Union School District); Julie Goodwin, Monterey Ridge Elementary School (Poway Unified School District); Gina Mazeau, Palmer Way (National School District); Deborah Quigley, National City Adult School (Sweetwater Union High School District); and Aaron Richard Sottile, Calavera Hills Middle School, (Carlsbad Unified School District).

Media Contact:
Ceanne Guerra
619-266-5542
Ceanne.guerra@cox.com