Yolo County Office of Education - Employee of the Month

Employee of the Month

Any YCOE employee may be nominated as Employee of the Month for a worthy contribution to the organization. Nomination and selection criteria are related to the topics for the month below, significant contributions to the YCOE organization, its staff, students, or the educational community. Employees nominated under this program shall be reviewed for selection by a committee within YCOE, on a monthly basis.

The award recipient shall be announced and recognized at the next Board of Education meeting, with one month's parking in the designated EOM parking spot (if applicable), a certificate of appreciation in recognition of their contribution, and a gift card.

Employees not selected in any particular month may be selected and receive this award in a subsequent month, within the fiscal year of nomination, if the nomination falls into that month's topic.

Topic for Nomination:

August: Introduces innovative ideas or processes that improve efficiency or quality. Finds creative solutions to challenges or problems. Contributes to innovation within the organization

September: One YCOE: Consistently recognizing our interdependence, and leveraging the diversity of strengths, expertise, and insights of our team

October: Vision: Be a model of excellence in educational service, innovation, and impact

November: Mission: Provided inspiration, leadership, support, and advocacy that ensures equity and access to high-quality education for all students

December: Core Values: Stay Student-Centered, Communicate Effectively, Value Employees and Partners

January: Created and maintained a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment within our organization

February: Strategic Plan Goal 1: Created or participated in a countywide transitional kindergarten to grade 16 initiative that will cohesively, effectively, and sustainably improve student outcomes in Yolo County

March: Strategic Plan Goal 2: Innovate, collaborate, or participated within YCOE or with school districts to close access and opportunity gaps to support the success of students

April: Strategic Plan Goal 3: Engage YCOE students in model education programs in order to ensure they are college and career ready

May: Strategic Plan Goal 4: Increase and sustain innovative and effective practices in administrative services (operations, business, and technology) while delivering high-quality and responsive services

June: Strategic Plan Goal 5: Recruit, retain, and develop a high-quality and diverse YCOE team

2024 EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

January 2024: Heidi Anderson, Teacher, Adult Living Skills, Davis
February 2024: Alyssa Alcazar, Paraeducator, Whitehead Elementary
April 2024: Alejandra Lopez, Program Specialist I, Cesar Chavez
May 2024: Rosie Vargas, Administrative Secretary, Special Education
June 2024: Kevin Tevis, Senior Computer Systems Specialist, Information & Technology Services
August 2024: Austin Adame, Senior Computer Systems Specialist, Information Technology Services
September 2024: Jeremy Jackson, Paraeducator, Adult Living Skills
October 2024: Rocio Jacobo Perales, Program Resource Specialist, Early Childhood Education
November 2024: Daniel Rubio, Senior Payroll/Benefits Technician
December 2024: Dr. Heather Schlaman, Coordinator, Literacy, Equity & Student Support

2023 EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

March 2023: Alternative Education Paraeducators (Victoria Curry, Joel Garcia, Davina Huerta, Kristen Storz, Reggie Washington)
April 2023: Cat Vibert, Administrative Assistant, Educational Services
May 2023: Christie Petrali, Senior Payroll/Benefits Technician, Human Resources
August 2023: Abigail Briceno, Administrative Secretary, Information Technology Services
September 2023: Nicole Castrejon, Family Support Services Manager, Early Childhood Education
October 2023: YCOE Student Intern Partnership (Eric Banuelos, Austin Creamer, Ken Creamer, Matt Juchniewicz, Bruce Lewis, Ray Lippincott, Alejandra Lopez, Tomas Marquez, Ben Nan, Edwin Ortega Beltran, Hector Perez, Karen Swan, An Ta, and Darin Tidball)
November 2023: Tommy Hobbs Teacher, Dan Jacobs School

2022 EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

January 2022: Bridget Vaughan, Sr. Business Services Technician, External Business Services
February 2022: Bianca Solorio, Foster Youth & Homeless Services Outreach Specialist, Student Services
March 2022: Gerry Scholl, Substitute Teacher/Substitute Paraeducator
May 2022: Human Resource COVID-19 staff (Anabel Figueroa, Bebe Reveles, Iris Tapia-Ramirez, Patti Robles)
July 2022: Rosie Vargas, Administrative Secretary, Special Education
August 2022: Darin Tidball, Senior Maintenance Technician, and Austin Creamer, Maintenance Technician, Support Operations Services
September 2022: Claudia Grimaldi, Accountant, Internal Fiscal Services
October 2022: Yvette Seibert, Executive Assistant, Superintendent's Office
November 2022: Lisa Munoz-Vasquez, Youth Advocate, Alternative Education

2021 EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

April 2021: Chris Stringer, Network Engineer, Information and Technology Services
May 2021: Head Start Family Support Services staff (Rose Castaneda, Ana Ceballos, Teresa Jauregui, Cierra Joseph, Andrew Martinez, Julisa Melgoza, and Amelia Rodriguez Abonce)
October 2021: Heather Williams, Sarah Jull, Jonathon Monin, Roni Morales, Caitlyn Tsutsui, Greengate School
November 2021: Andrea Barajas, Administrative Secretary, Teaching & Learning
December 2021: Katya Griffin and Ana Renteria, Greengate School

OUR CURRENT EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

December 2024: Dr. Heather Schlaman, Coordinator - Literacy, Equity and Student Support.

This month's topic was YCOE's Cor Values: “Stay Student-Centered, Communicate Effectively, Value Employees and Partners”

Heather was nominated by her supervisor for her commitment and contributions to students and our organization. Over the past year, Heather has led several impactful initiatives. As a recipient of the Multilingual Grant, Heather is developing and implementing innovative strategies to support our multilingual learners and instructional staff, creating opportunities for academic success and language proficiency. It will also allow access to educators to advance their knowledge and ability to make professional advancements to better serve students. Heather is also working with all our school districts to improve language instruction to promote literacy instruction. Additionally, through the Anti-Bias Grant, Heather has driven critical initiatives aimed at eliminating systemic biases, ensuring that every student is treated with dignity and respect.

As a leader of the Curriculum Strike Team, Heather is spearheading collaborative efforts to enhance curriculum design, ensuring it aligns with the diverse needs of our Cesar Chavez students. Furthermore, Heather was a driving force behind the development of the Ethnic Studies course outline, an essential addition to our curriculum that emphasizes cultural awareness and social justice. Her work has not only enriched the academic environment but also helped lay the foundation for a more equitable and inclusive educational experience for our students at Cesar Chavez. Heather's leadership in developing the Ethnic Studies course has created a space for students to explore and understand their own cultural identities while also developing a greater appreciation for the diverse backgrounds of their peers. Through these efforts, students will gain valuable academic knowledge in becoming more socially conscious and empowered to engage in the world with empathy and critical thinking.

Heather is a strong advocate for multilingual learners, by ensuring that students from diverse linguistic backgrounds are provided with the support they need to thrive academically. The focus on anti-bias education will have a transformative effect on staff, fostering a more inclusive, respectful, and supportive school culture where all students feel valued and heard.

Heather also played a pivotal role in writing the WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) Self-Study Guide Action Report for Cesar Chavez, where her insight and expertise contributed to a comprehensive plan for school improvement. As a result of the collective team approach, Cesar Chavez is expecting a positive accreditation.

Heather will be recognized at our next Yolo County Board of Education Meeting: