For the past seven years, OCDE has honored local educators, administrators, community liaisons and parents who’ve championed the academic and social success of language learners.
The 8th annual Language Learner Celebration was set to do it again at the Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin on April 29. But the department’s Literacy and Language team had to cancel the event in response to the growing COVID-19 crisis.
Instead, the department is publicly calling attention to the more than 40 honorees who were nominated this year by their respective districts and learning centers.
“OCDE is indebted to these outstanding individuals for their exemplary efforts and support for our county’s language learners,” OCDE Program Specialist Richard Romero said.
The awards are based on California’s English Learner Roadmap, which views the education of English learners — also known as emergent bilinguals — as a system-wide responsibility, Romero said.
The following honorees from Orange County exemplified the principles of the English Learner Roadmap during the 2019-20 school year:
Anaheim Elementary School District
María Cortés and Lu Sanchez
Anaheim Union High School District
Debbie Pham and Mary Jo Durkin
Brea Olinda Unified School District
Gabby Santos and Rachel Strickland
Buena Park School District
Beverly Chang Bolicek
Capistrano Unified School District
Patricia Effenberger
Centralia School District
Soraya Flores
Fountain Valley School District
Anthony Duenas
Fullerton School District
Alma Chavez and Veronica Moran
Fullerton Joint Union High School District
Sam Kelso
Garden Grove Unified School District
Hang Tran and Lien Thompson
Huntington Beach Union High School District
Kris Bonsall and Heather Cooper
Irvine Unified School District
Lucinda Mroch
Laguna Beach Unified School District
Megan Bhaskaran and Ariane Cardona
La Habra City School District
Joanne Morton and Robert Herrera
Magnolia School District
Chi Ha and Phuong Nguyen
Newport-Mesa Unified School District
Rosa Rochin and Maria Garcia
Ocean View School District
Donald Kilcullen and Brandi Girotti
Orange County Department of Education, ACCESS
Lynn Garrett and Karla Lara
Orange County Educational Arts Academy
Cathy Nowel
Orange Unified School District
Diana Benitez and Norma Leal
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
Claire Munoz and Norma Ceballos
Saddleback Valley Unified School District
Jimmy Martin and Laura Blackie
Santa Ana Unified School District
Linda Palomino and Robyn Giuseffi
Tustin Unified School District
Mario Martínez Sánchez and Maribel Herrera-Olmedo
Westminster School District
Jennifer Guzman and Wendy Sorce
This year’s District Advocacy Leadership Awards, which were to be presented at the Language Learner Celebration, have been postponed until August 2020.