TCOE honors the best staff member in education

As the principal of Cutler Elementary, Cerda spent most of her day teaching the school, celebrating great learning and aiding improvement. Yolanda Valdez, district attorney for Cutler-Orosi, said Cerdam had a laser focus on academics and was intricately involved in all of the grade analysis. She brings together the school’s reading specialist, institutional coaches, school psychologist, social worker and learning director every week to ensure students are making academic, social and emotional gains. For its efforts in implementing the school’s PBIS program, Cutler Elementary has received the constitution’s highest “platinum status” designation for 2018, 2019, and 2021.

Additionally, Cerda is also actively involved in his community, serving as a member of the local Visalia Lions Club.

Masters of the Year

Nancy Warkentin

Transitional Kindergarten teacher at Wilson School in the Dinuba Unified School District.

Nancy Warkentin, now retired, was a teacher with Dinuba Unified for 37 years at Wilson Elementary. For the past 10 years, she has been a transitioning Kindergarten teacher, helping four and five-year-olds develop the educational foundations and love learning inside and outside of the classroom.

Warkent’s nominators praised her for her creative work on California school standards for mocking her students. Through the use of music, song, painting, drama, art and technology, Warkentin actively engaged his students in their lessons. At the center of his instruction was the love he expressed to his students, valuing each of his children as “beautiful”.