 Jayne
Dean received the 2008 State
Teacher of the Year award at the
2008 CCEA State Conference
in Los Angeles.The
California Continuation
Education Association's Teacher
of the Year for 2008 – 09 is
Jayne Dean of New Horizons High
School in Riverside. She has
dedicated twenty years of her
thirty-four year teaching career
to alternative education with
passion and hard work and, on a
daily basis, encourages her
students to focus on the good
that is happening to them in the
classroom where they feel safe
and valued. Like many
continuation educators, Jayne
has taught a variety of classes
from California History to
Science to Art to Cooking to
Leadership and from Mathematics
to Line Dancing to Drug
Education and Music. Jayne
believes that "all children can
learn and that they can be
taught when the teacher is
trusted to have the child's best
interests at heart." She feels
that teachers need to be
authentic in thought and deed
and encourages her colleagues to
share their human side with
students as well as their
instructional expertise. Jayne
has a philosophy of "never
backing a student into a corner"
and uses alternative techniques
to diffuse difficult situations.
Jayne Dean
has designed numerous curriculum
and community opportunities for
her students including a 6-week
report card system, an annual
family night that includes
dinner, games and babysitting
and a Senior Seminar Oral Exit
Interview for which she was
honored with a CCEA Exemplary
Program award. In the Senior
Seminar, students work on
resumes, "brag sheets" and
personal statements, complete
fifteen-hours of community
service and defend an oral
presentation combining research
and career exploration. As a
result of Jayne Dean's efforts,
and those of her students,
graduation rates have increased
each year and the transition to
college and/or the world of work
has been eased for many
graduates of New Horizons.
Fellow educators, students and family
members shared feelings of
respect and gratitude for all
Mrs. Dean had contributed to
their lives. They wrote that
Dean "exemplifies the dynamic of
what student engagement is all
about in being an exceptionally
unselfish professional with a
true gift for knowing what
students need most." One said,
Jayne Dean "holds the key that
unlocks personal motivation.
She sees assets and
possibilities where the
conventional eyes often see a
dead-end." Another wrote,
"Jayne mobilizes staff to focus
laser-like on our school's
value-added direction to
positively affect students'
behavior, attendance and
academic achievement."
California Continuation
Education Association is proud
to join those who know Jayne
Dean best and congratulate her
on being our California
Continuation Teacher of the Year
for 2008-2009. |
