Elk Grove Math Teacher Named Sac County Teacher of the Year

An Elk Grove math teacher was one of two teachers chosen as Sacramento County Teachers of the Year for 2014. 

Tim Smith teaches algebra I and AP statistics at Florin High School within the Elk Grove Unified School District. He will represent the county in the California Teachers of the Year competition. 


Also chosen was Deanna Victor, who teaches a 4th-5th grade combination class at Mariemont Elementart in the San Juan Unified School District. 

They both were selected from among 16 Sacramento area teachers, according to the Sacramento County Board of Education. 

From the Sacramento County Board of Education:

A selection committee comprised of education professionals, including previous Teachers of the Year, interviewed the district Teachers of the Year and selected the two finalists. All 16 Sacramento area teachers will be honored during special Teacher Appreciation Nights hosted by both the Sacramento Kings and the Sacramento River Cats. Dates and times are to be announced.

All of the school districts within the County of Sacramento, along with local charter schools and SCOE, are invited to participate each year in the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year program. Larger districts are eligible to submit two entries. Eleven local districts, including SCOE, and the California Charter Schools Association participated this year. Each district's Teacher of the Year completed a comprehensive application packet, which included an extensive biography and answered questions ranging from personal philosophy of teaching to an understanding of current education issues.

During the awards ceremony, each district Teacher of the Year was introduced by a current/former student, or a student's parent. David W. Gordon, County Superintendent of Schools, and trustees from the Sacramento County Board of Education, presented each of the Teachers of the Year with an inscribed award.

Outgoing Teacher of the Year Jennifer Ellerman (Sacramento City Unified) announced the names of the honorees. Sacramento County Board of Education President Jacqueline Levy presented the winners with the Elinor Lincoln Hickey Award of Merit, the highest honor bestowed by the County Board of Education. Mike Rizo, representing the Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry, awarded a perpetual trophy to the County Teachers of the Year.

Deanna Victor and Tim Smith are now eligible to advance to the statewide competition, out of which five teachers will be chosen as California Teachers of the Year. California Teachers of the Year are responsible for representing the teaching profession in a variety of settings and assisting their teaching colleagues in numerous ways throughout 2014. Their names, and that of the individual selected as the state's nominee to the National Teacher of the Year program, will be announced later in the fall by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.Past Sacramento County Teachers of the Year are listed online.

The Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Program is presented by the Sacramento County Office of Education in partnership with the Sacramento Kings, the Sacramento River Cats, the Intel Corporation Folsom, SAFE Credit Union, and the Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry.