SRVUSD 2020 Teachers Of The Year Advance As Finalists

Press release from the San Ramon Valley Unified School District:

May 28 2020

Danville, CA -- The San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD) has selected Sarah Clancy and Courtney Konopacky as the District’s 2020-2021 Teachers of the Year. Each year, the SRVUSD chooses one elementary and one secondary teacher who are recognized by the Board of Education and go on to represent the District in the Teacher of the Year (TOY) Program.

This year, both SRVUSD Teachers of the Year have been selected as finalists in the County Teacher of the Year program. For selection as a County finalist, a committee of 14 judges representing the county’s education, business, and public-sector partners, carefully reviewed and scored the Teacher of the Year (TOY) applications virtually. Scores were tallied and the finalists were determined.

SRVUSD’s two outstanding educators exemplify above and beyond practices that set them apart in their profession. Clancy is a fifth grade teacher at Live Oak Elementary in San Ramon. Konopacky is currently an 8th grade core teacher at Stone Valley Middle School in Alamo. Clancy and Konopacky will represent the San Ramon Valley Unified School District in the Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year Program.

“Sarah and Courtney are prime examples of the excellent teaching that takes place in the schools of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. Both are very committed to providing positive, creative and learner centered environments where students of all abilities can realize success,” SRVUSD Superintendent Rick Schmitt said. “They are educational leaders on their campuses and have earned the respect of staff, students, parents and administration. We are proud to honor these educators and look forward to seeing them honored at the County level, as well.”

Sarah Clancy is well-loved and well-respected by members of the Live Oak community. She has been at Live Oak for the past 10 years. On her campus, she is viewed as an instructional leader who goes above and beyond to develop curriculum that is creative and challenging for learners at every level. She welcomes and embraces a diverse group of students and learning styles in her classroom and strives to meet the needs of each individual student. She is a member of the school CARE Leadership team where she focuses on the mental/emotional health of everyone in the community while emphasizing the importance of social emotional learning to Live Oak families. She is loved by her students and parents, alike.

Courtney Konopacky is well- loved by everyone on the Stone Valley campus. Students know that she genuinely cares about them. She has high expectations, but is masterful at guiding student conversations to promote critical thinking, learning and growth so that students are successful. She is a leader on her campus and has a positive impact on big initiatives that are being employed. She has been a strong voice in supporting the development of standards-based grading work and has been a districtwide leader impacting other teachers in the development of progressive and innovative curriculum in the field of social studies. Courtney combines her passion for teaching with quick-witted humor while also making the learning relevant for her students. Courtney helps move the needle on things that she believes are best for students. She teaches with passion and compassion and is always striving to learn new ways to have a positive impact on students' lives.

The purpose of the TOY Program is to honor the profession chosen from over 300,000 people in the state and to heighten interest in teaching as a career. The program affords the opportunity to bring attention to teachers who successfully employ strategies to increase academic success and narrow the achievement gap among a range of students and to prepare students for 21st century college and careers.

Each year, Contra Costa County school districts select Teachers of the Year. The winner of the Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year is announced at an event each September and goes on to represent the county in the State Teacher of the Year Program.

This press release was produced by the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.