GUHSD Announces 'Teacher of the Year' Nominees

At its Governing Board Meeting on Wednesday, April 10, the Grossmont Union High School District honored Teacher of the Year nominees from its school sites.

These nominees are selected by their peers. A panel comprised of previous Teachers of the Year and District personnel selected two representatives from this distinguished group of nominees to be considered for the San Diego County Teacher of the Year competition. If selected to represent the County, the next step is the California State Teacher of the Year competition.

GUHSD 2013-14 Teacher of the Year Nominees:

El Cajon Valley High School

Matt Kershaw – Exit Exam Schedule Developer, Math Department Chair and Math Instructor

El Capitan High School

Gina Grossini – Art Department Chair, Club Advisor, Screen Printing and Photo Instructor

Granite Hills High School

Nicole DeWitt – Club and Class Advisor; ESL/ELD Instructor and EL Coordinator

Grossmont High School

Nicole Thren – ROP and WASC Coordinator, Business Council Chair, Department Chair, English for Business and G.O.A.L. Instructor

Monte Vista High School

Sam Rearic (In Memoriam) – Club and Class Advisor, Social Science Instructor and WASC Coordinator

Mount Miguel High School

Bridget DeSonia – Science Instructor, Club and Class Advisor, Camp LEAD Counselor and Coordinator of the Academy of Medical and Health Sciences

Valhalla High School

Sheila Medin – Math Instructor, Geometry Team Leader, Club and Class Advisor

Alternative Education/Chaparral High School

Tom Schroeder – BTSA Support Provider, WASC and Tech Coordinator, School Site Council President, Club Advisor and Learning Center Instructor

Following are the two GUHSD Teachers of the Year who have been selected to go on to compete at the County level:

Eileen Bagg-Rizzo – Santana High School

Eileen Bagg-Rizzo teaches English and Team Excel, a course in the Environmental Design Pathway at Santana, where she has been teaching since 1990. She also coaches Varsity Swim, has been a Department Chairperson, and has served as Coordinator for the AP Challenge Grant, a literacy program, and the English Language Learner’s program. Ms. Bagg-Rizzo has also been a member of the school’s Leadership Team and School Site Council, a Mentor Teacher, and a club and class advisor during her tenure at Santana.

According to her Principal, Tim Schwuchow, Eileen, “is an outstanding instructor, a natural leader, and (she makes) Santana a better place.”

A student of Ms. Bagg-Rizzo wrote, “Remarkable teachers give students life skills that are applicable both inside and outside of the classroom for the rest of their lives. Mrs. Bagg-Rizzo is a genuinely remarkable teacher.” 

Randy Cambou – West Hills High School

Randy Cambou is an A.P. Government Teacher and the WASC Coordinator at West Hills, where he has been teaching since 2004. He also serves on the West Hills’ Site Leadership Team, Department Chair Council, Professional Development Committee, and is the Grossmont Education Association Site Representative.

Principal Paul Dautremont states that, “Randy doesn’t teach government from a textbook, but rather he encourages his students to get out and participate in government on all levels. He has proven himself to be a strong teacher and advocate for the students with whom he works.”

A student of Randy Cambou said, “Mr. Cambou doesn’t teach for the money or the summer vacation; he teaches in the hopes of inspiring just one person to change the world. If there was one thing I took away from his class, it is that I am a single pebble; while I may be small and overlooked, I am capable of creating great ripples in even the largest bodies of water.”

We are very proud to have these fine teachers represent their school sites and the Grossmont Union High School District as the 2013 – 2014 Teachers of the Year.