Nagy named California Area’s Teacher of the Year
CALIFORNIA – The process of having a Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year in the California Area School District was started Tuesday with the first-ever selection of a California Area School District Teacher of the Year. “Among you we have greatness,” Superintendent Dr. Marian told the faculty. “I think we are only a few steps away from recognition on the state level.”
The three finalists for the California Teacher of the Year were Donald Martin, M. Eileen Nagy and Emmilou Stewart, with Nagy named teacher of the year. Each finalist received a framed certificate and a bouquet of roses. Nagy also received a plaque and a check for $3,000 from the sponsors.
Nagy, a learning support teacher, said the award is doubly sweet, since it recognizes the importance of special education in the schools.
“I think learning support is one of the most important things our schools do,” Nagy said, noting that all of the credit should go to her students. “They’re the ones that are special. That’s what it’s all about. It’s my students, not me.”
Nagy teaches kindergarten through third grade learning support and second grade reading. She has taught in the California Area School District for the past nine years.
“These children are average children who are having some difficulty learning. Our job is to make them successful and to feel good about themselves. They usually come in not feeling very good about themselves because all they’ve known is failure so far,” Nagy said.
She said that when the judges asked her what she does to motivate her students, she replied that she didn’t need to do very much because she gets them to believe in themselves. She also uses numerous creative hands-on teaching techniques, including “camping Fridays.”
On those days, Nagy said, a tent is set up and the students do things like apply for fishing licenses in order to practice spelling their names correctly, and the “fish” caught are used for math lessons.
“I’m always fighting for my kids because I think there’s a lot they can do with their lives,” Nagy said.
Ken Donahue of rose plastic USA LP, one of the sponsors of the competition, said the criteria for the competition were decided after reviewing the rules for teacher competitions in other states and from private agencies.
He said the selection committee was not in any way affiliated with the sponsoring organizations or district administration, to ensure there was no favoritism involved. The nominations came from parents, students, other teachers and administrators in the California Area School District, but the selection came from professionals in the field of education. One judge is the head of the Los Angeles Education Partners, another is on the Pennsylvania Writing and Reading Assessment Committee and the third is an education reporter for a newspaper outside of the California area.
Donahue said the names were taken off the supporting documents submitted with the nominations and the finalists were interviewed by telephone in a conference call with all three judges.
Attorney Charles Keller, whose firm Peacock, Keller, Ecker and Crothers was one of the sponsors, said the importance of teachers was the common theme in speeches during Alumni Weekend at California University of Pennsylvania recently. “In every case, each recipient credited the teachers who had challenged them and molded their lives,” he said.
Keller said that judging from the testimonials and letters of support received for the Teacher of the Year candidates, California Area teachers are having an impact.
“They clearly made a difference in the lives of the young people we entrusted to their care,” Keller said.
“I personally believe that teaching is the most noble profession that humans can be involved in,” said Dr. Angelo Armenti, president of Cal U, another sponsoring agency.
“An award to one of our teachers is a credit to all. The fact that the community and its leaders are willing to honor one of those teachers is a tribute to the educational process in California,” Stephens said.
In addition to rose plastic USA, Cal U, and Peacock, Keller, Ecker ad Crothers, the award was sponsored by Brownsville Bus Lines, California Chamber of Commerce, California Dairy Queen, DLC America LP, National City Bank, PNC Bank, Pennatronics, Redstone Pharmacy and the Vito Dentino Agency.