Meet Contra Costa County’s 2019-2020 Teachers of the Year

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Meet Contra Costa County's 2019-2020 Teachers of the Year
(L-R) Daniel O’Shea, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Pinole Valley High School; Cheri Etheredge, Contra Costa Community College District, Contra Costa Community College; Doug Silva, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Helms Middle School. (Photo Credit: CCCOE)

Doug Silva of Helms Middle School, Daniel O’Shea of Pinole Valley High School, and Dr. Cheri Etheredge of Contra Costa College have been named among the 2019-2020 Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year for their outstanding achievements in education.

The county has about 8,637 teachers educating more than 177,000 students, and every year just 22 of them make the Teachers of the Year list. County school districts nominate candidates to the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE). Silva and O’Shea are the winning representatives from West Contra Costa Unified. Contra Costa College’s winning representative, Dr. Etheredge, is a veteran educator in college’s nursing program, according to a profile in The Advocate.

See the full list of winners below.

On Tuesday, Teachers of the Year were honored at the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) in Pleasant Hill. There, they learned they’ll receive on-field recognition at upcoming Oakland A’s and SF Giants games, along with classroom grants and other goodies this fall and recognition at a dinner gala in Concord in September.

“We are extremely proud of the Teachers of the Year, Class of 2019-2020,” reports Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey. “When you review their TOY applications, it is quite evident that the latest candidates were thoughtfully selected to represent their schools and districts, while at the same time truly embody what is best about public education.”

The Teachers of the Year representing grades K-12 are now eligible to compete in the Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year competition. The top two winners of that competition, which features a panel review of applications, classroom observation, and judged speeches,  will represent the county in the California State TOY Program this coming fall.

2019-2020 Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year Representatives:

  • Paul Verbanszky, Acalanes Union High School District, Campolindo High School

  • DarVisa R. Marshall, Antioch Unified School District, Antioch Middle School

  • Ezra Smith, Brentwood Union School District, Pioneer Elem/Loma Vista Elem

  • Alicia Woodson, Byron Union School District, Discovery Bay Elementary

  • Cheri Etheredge, Contra Costa Community College District, Contra Costa Community College

  • Kevin McKibben, Contra Costa County Office of Education, Mt. McKinley School

  • Nagia “GG” Abdu, John Swett Unified School District, John Swett High School

  • Katy Bracelin, Knightsen Elementary School District, Knightsen Elementary School

  • Cindy Fisher, Lafayette School District, Happy Valley Elementary School

  • Gina Capelli, Liberty Union High School District, Liberty High School

  • Pamuela Galletti, Martinez Unified School District, John Muir Elementary School

  • Jennifer Strohmeyer, Moraga School District, Donald L. Rheem Elementary School

  • Emily Andrews, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Bancroft Elementary School

  • Shay Kornfeld, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Diablo View Middle School

  • Maria Fernandez, Oakley Union Elementary School District, Oakley Elementary School

  • Jennifer Dodd, Orinda Union School District, Del Rey Elementary School

  • Maureen Mattson, Pittsburg Unified School District, Pittsburg High School

  • Athena Agustin, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Dougherty Valley High School

  • Nusheen Saadat, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Quail Run Elementary School

  • Jana Palmquist, Walnut Creek School District, Walnut Creek Intermediate School

  • Daniel O’Shea, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Pinole Valley High School

  • Doug Silva, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Helms Middle School

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