Honoring Our Own - Oakland Unified School District

Central Office ServiceExcellence AwardTECHNOLOGY SERVICESSI MON-PEDRO ZIMMER M A NSimon Zimmerman is consistently an overachieverand provides great customer support to everyinteraction with OUSD endusers. There is nota day that goes by that he is not recognized byAdministrators and fellow staff members. He istruly an asset to the OUSD technology team andcommunity.BUDGETINGK ATEMA SLOCU MKatema Slocum is one of the most reliable &available Financial Service Associates that theBudgeting department has. She is very proactiveand takes initiative to get work done in advance.Ms. Slocum is someone that people within herdepartment rely on heavily because she is trulyvalued as a team member. Her customer service skills are remarkablewhich is why she was an Achieving Service Excellence CustomerService trainer for the district. The district Administration goes to Ms.Slocum quite often because they know she will be able to answer thequestions and get the work done promptly and correctly. She is such apleasure to have on the Budgeting team!ACCOUNTINGA Z EB L EGE SSEAzeb Legesse is a true asset to the Accountingteam. She is dependable and hard working. Shetakes pride in her work and without complainttakes on additional responsibilities that are beyondher normal day-to-day duties. When other teammembers need help during critical periods, sheoften volunteers to take on additional tasks to support the office. Ms.Legesse is friendly, knowledgeable, and has a great work ethic. Herdemonstrated leadership skills result in her team members knowingthey can always depend on her for support. On many levels, she is agreat team member and is clearly committed to the quality and successof our school district.LEADERSHIP, CURRICULUM &INSTRUCTIONBON N IE STEINHOFFBonnie Steinhoff is one of the main reasons peoplehave incredible experiences with the Leadership,Curriculum & Instruction department. Herwealth of experience supporting new teachers anddesigning and delivering trainings ensures that her participants alwayshave a high quality experience. She works nonstop to make sure thatshe is responsive to the needs of the coaches that she supports as wellas her students. Whether Ms. Steinhoff is sending emails in-person orpresenting a professional development training her communicationskills are always top notch!FAMILY, SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITYPARTNERSHIPS — ASSIGNMENT OFFICEBET T Y MCGE EBetty McGee always takes a friendly andinformative approach with both students andparents; serving students in Oakland Schoolswho have somehow “fallen between the cracks”.Her commitment, preparation, clarity, and follow-through ensuresthe students won’t slip out of sight again after she has taken themon! She knows the schools that have spaces, she stays in constantcommunication with parents/students and Administrators, keepsaccurate records and keeps up with returning students and parents’unique situations. She conscientiously and effectively case manageswithout ever making a student feel that they are a “special case” — andgets them enrolled in the best placement possible to ensure their success.FAMILY, SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITYPARTNERSHIPS — BEHAVIORALHEALTHBA R BA R A MCCLU NGBarbara McClung manages the delivery ofBehavioral Health services for the entire District— including crisis response. This is a huge job,yet somehow Ms. McClung combines the capacityto care passionately with the ability to remain calm and professionalin providing these critical services to the youth and adults in ourschools. She is exremely knowledgeable in her areas of expertise, butwilling to explain and to ensure that concerns and fears are heard andaddressed. Ms. McClung cares about everyone in the district; the youthand the adults, and has spent countless nights and weekends makingsure everyone gets the high quality services they need. The people shesupervises love her; she goes above and beyond in advocating for her staffto ensure they are supported in their work and that the families of OUSDget excellent services. She truly deserves to be recognized for her devotionto this work.LEGALCI N DE E L AJOU R ECindee LaJoure has been with OUSD for 8 years andis dedicated, loyal and passionate about her serviceto our children and community; additionally, thereare probably few as knowledgeable in and capableof the high-level interdepartmental communicationfunctions that are necessary for the support of sucha centrally-cricital department. Her work product is impeccable, wellorganized,and masterfully presented. She is not only a master of her ownwork duties, but is so well-versed in all aspects of the Legal department’sfunctions that she is easily able to “cover” for the attorneys and othersin the office when it is necessary. Ms. LaJoure’s level-headedness andattention to detail shines through in her communications with staff,employees, parents and others. She keeps Legal operating compliantlyand efficiently through the use of a matter cataloging system, amaster matter list, budget management, and is unofficially the Legaldepartment’s technology troubleshooter.