Honoring Our Own - Oakland Unified School District

Teacher Quality AwardREGION 1 TEACHERK A R L FLEISCH M A NREGION 2 TEACHERSTEPH E N DAV ISStudent attitudes and performance alike testify tothe attention Karl Fleischman actively gives eachchild in his Kindergarten classroom. He assessesand addresses each of the very young students’needs individually, continuously differentiating instruction to obtainthe best results for each child. He demonstrates boundless energy,patience and enthusiasm for all of his students, giving them the best “K”experience and the best start in “big kid” school. Students are so excitedeach day to go to school because of Mr. Fleischman!REGION 1 TEACHERJEANNIE KOH LJeannie Kohl’s long years of service to hercommunity as a teacher are evident in her grasp ofher teaching craft (and art), and in the confidenceshe exudes in her interactions with others. Ms.Kohl conveys a sense of trust and a firm grasp of issues pertainingto student success and support in working tirelessly with students,parents, teachers, staff and community. Ever mindful of the importanceof data in identifying and addressing needs, as well as in measuringsuccess, Ms. Kohl rigorously gathers and analyzes information toidentify students who could benefit from her site intervention; then shegoes above and beyond to create structures of support for the needieststudents at Montera. Ms. Kohl is committed to the vision of OUSD!REGION 1 PROGRAMS FOREXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN TEACHERSTEPH A N IE K R AUSEStephanie Krause is a team player who is not onlyconcerned about the well-being of the studentsin her classroom but for all students, even goingso far as to volunteer the services of one of her support staff to supportanother classroom because she felt there was a greater need. She is astrong child advocate who is willing to make sacrifices for the greatergood of students, while she still delivers a high quality program. Sheforms a close professional relationship with all the teachers who serveher students, to ensure educational accommodations are appropriateand relevant for her students. She also willingly shares her ideas andskills with her fellow colleagues as she understands the importance ofcreating a strong and effective learning community.Stephen Davis pays his students the highestcompliment — he holds children accountablefor their learning. While he sets high standardsfor his students, he never does so without fullyexplaining his expectations and what is required to meet them.He uses workshop time to differentiate instruction. Mr. Davis is apublished author, producing books of educational games to be used inthe classroom. He believes that we show caring to children by havingexpectations for them and letting them know when they meet thoseexpectations or when they do not. Mr. Davis is very worthy of thisaward!REGION 2 TEACHERLU BI A SA NCH EZLubia Sanchez works for students, teachers, andthe whole Melrose community. She takes onwhatever needs to be done in order for students tobe successful; she holds students to high standardsbut always provides the support necessary for success. Ms. Sancheztook the lead on improving the services provided to English LanguageLearners (ELL) through furnishing more ELL-focused professionaldevelopment to her fellow educators. As a result, Melrose LeadershipAcademy had the most growth on CST scores for ELL’s of all middleschools in Oakland. Her colleagues say they have never met anyonemore deserving of OUSD recognition!REGION 2 PROGRAMS FOREXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN TEACHERCH A R LTON TA RV ERCharlton Tarver has been with the districtsince 1989 — primarily teaching students whohave learning disabilities. Several years ago thedepartment of Programs for Exceptional Children recognized the needto offer a more intense reading program for students who had not metsuccess through traditional methods. In 2001 Ms. Tarver, along withthree other teachers, was asked to help set up a district special educationreading clinic at two school sites. This clinic now serves approximately60 special education students district-wide. In addition to her expertisein literacy skill development she is well known for her advocacy for allchildren. Ms. Tarver has been a great asset to her students, families, thespecial education department and the district as a whole.