“My strength is creating a relationship with my
students built on honesty, trust, and respect. But mostly, I just kill them
with kindness. My expectations are high, my curriculum is rigorous, and my students’
success rate is excellent. All this happens because everything I do is rooted
in being kind and encouraging …
“When students believe that I am genuinely invested
in their success, and every action I make is based on that belief, the most
at-risk student will rise to the occasion. Simply put, I believe that student
success begins with the relationship they have with their teacher.” – Kelly Choi
Kelly Choi, an innovative
math teacher and faculty leader at Dos Pueblos High School, is the 2013-2014
Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year. County
Superintendent of Schools Bill Cirone made the announcement Thursday at a press
conference during the monthly meeting of the County Board of Education.
One of a number of outstanding nominees
for the honor countywide, she was selected by a committee including
representatives of former teachers, administrators, PTAs, and school board
members.
Choi will become the county’s official representative
on July 1, and her nomination will be reviewed in the fall for
consideration as California Teacher of the Year. The state winner will then be
advanced into consideration for 2014 National Teacher of the Year.
Superintendent Cirone
congratulated Choi for her dedication, leadership, enthusiasm, creativity, and
remarkable contributions inside and outside the classroom.
A teacher for 17 years, the past 15 of them at Dos
Pueblos, Choi has led efforts to integrate technology into the classroom,
develop ways to use it effectively in instruction, and train other teachers in its
use. She is one of the Santa Barbara Unified School District’s technology
coaches and the director of her school’s Charger Academy, which gives intensive
attention to students who are most at risk of not graduating from high school.
“Technology is moving faster than the schools,” Choi
said. “No longer does all knowledge transfer from teacher to student or all
communication happen face to face. Even the teachers who are excited and ready
to integrate and use technology are faced with the restrictions of outdated
technology and slow networks. To me, the solution lies in people supporting
each other and sharing their resources.”
She also is director and a co-founder of the Academy,
which in each of the past four years has identified 30 ninth-graders who are
most at risk of dropping out, based on their high truancy, frequent
disciplinary issues, and low grade-point averages, and helped them succeed.
“The Academy was established to provide students …
the personalized attention and support they need to be successful in both
school and life. The Academy connects school with community through mentorship
programs, internship opportunities, and partnerships with organizations
throughout Santa Barbara, with the ultimate goal to graduate productive and
responsible citizens with a comprehensive life plan,” Choi said.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics
and a secondary teaching credential at California State University, Sacramento,
and began teaching sixth- and seventh-grade math at Iron Horse Middle School in
San Ramon, California. After two years she moved to Dos Pueblos High School,
where she teaches ninth- through 12th-grade math classes and has
designed two courses, one in algebra skills and another as preparation for the
California High School Exit Exam.
She wrote a successful application for technology
funding and is now the staff development coordinator for that Digital High
School grant. As a district technology coach, she is working with colleagues to
integrate the use of tablet computers into their instruction. She is a member
of Dos Pueblos’ School Improvement Leadership Team, has been co-chair of its
Intervention Committee and the district’s Textbook Adoption Committee, ASB
leadership co-advisor, senior class advisor, Faculty Senate leader, and an item
writer for the state exit exam.
She is also an active volunteer with Brandon
Elementary School in Goleta, co-chairing its annual carnival and helping with
its fundraising auction as well as coordinating student volunteers from DPHS
throughout the year to help with student and parent activities at Brandon
School. She is a frequent speaker or panel member who presents information
about her school’s Academy and about at-risk students in general.
Wrote Shawn Carey, Dos Pueblos principal: “What is at
the heart of Kelly’s success as a teacher is her steadfast commitment to
serving students and their interests above all else. She knows all of her
students as individuals and she is consistently the calm voice at the table
reminding everyone of the student perspective. … through her efforts to inspire
a group of dedicated teachers, challenge the status quo of traditional school
structures such as funding models and master schedules, rally the resources of
a community, and insist on never ever
giving up on students, Dos Pueblos has graduated dozens of students who were
otherwise slated for failed educational and personal outcomes.”
Wrote colleague Heather Magner: “Kelly is the most
graciously relentless person I know. Because of her steely determination combined
with her trademark sincerity and warmth, we were able to start a new Academy at
our school and, solely because of her leadership, able to keep it not just
running but constantly improving for the last four years. …. Working with Kelly
has been one of the most inspiring experiences of my career. She is an
unparalleled team player, a tireless worker and an invaluable problem solver.”
Wrote Assistant Principal William Woodward: “Kelly
sank her heart and soul into developing The Academy, and her work has been a
remarkable success story. For example, in the 2009-10 school year, discipline
referrals for Academy students fell from 221 to 56, and the average GPA went
from 1.41 to 2.39. Students who would have had little to no chance to graduate
without this support network proudly walked across the stage last year at
graduation. … And of course, at heart, Kelly is a fabulous math teacher.”
As Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year, Choi
will be available to speak countywide. She can be reached at Dos Pueblos High
School at (805) 968-2541, or at the
County Education Office by calling Steve Keithley at 964-4710, ext. 5281.
