“My goal is not to become a master at manipulating an environment. Rather, I try to use what I know, I feel, and what I have learned to provide a safe, supportive, engaging, and productive learning environment for students.”
— Brandon Sportel
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| Brandon Sportel |
Perhaps it comes as little surprise, then, to announce that Sportel has also been selected as the 2016 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year. County Superintendent of Schools Bill Cirone made the announcement and introduced him May 14 during the monthly meeting of the Santa Barbara County Board of Education.
“Brandon brings remarkable energy, innovation, and compassion to the classroom every day,” Cirone said. “And it’s not just those in his classroom or school who benefit. His contributions to Special Olympics as well as his involvement with local colleges that are grooming our next generation of special education teachers make him an extraordinary asset to our community, too.
“Our teachers serve over 67,000 students in 20 school districts,” Cirone continued. “Being selected Teacher of the Year — and representing all the fine teachers throughout Santa Barbara County — is a tremendous honor. We are delighted to count Brandon Sportel among our ranks of great educators.”
Sportel was just one of a number of exceptional nominees for Teacher of the Year honors. He was selected after a comprehensive review process conducted by a six-person committee. The committee consisted of administrators, a PTA representative, local business leaders, and last year’s Teacher of the Year, Vieja Valley School teacher Allison Heiduk.
Sportel will become the county’s designated representative on July 1, when he succeeds Heiduk as Teacher of the Year, and his nomination for consideration as California’s Teacher of the Year will begin sometime in the fall of 2015. The state winner will then move forward in the competition for 2016 National Teacher of the Year.
Sportel’s Carpinteria students, colleagues, and supporters throughout the county will be pulling for him.
“Brandon has a unique ability to reach students with a combination of warmth, understanding, and structure that allows them to find success in the face of often significant challenges,” says Canalino School Principal Jamie Persoon. “His commitment to all kids,” she continues, “not just those on his roster, and his team approach to making students successful is what makes him stand out as an exceptional leader.”
Sportel graduated from Michigan State University in 2001 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. He was hired in 2006 by the Carpinteria Unified School District as the third to fifth grade Special Day Class teacher for students with mild-to-moderate disabilities at Aliso Elementary, and later moved to Canalino. In 2007 he received his Master’s Degree in Education from CSU Northridge.
“My goal is not to become a master at manipulating an environment,” Sportel says. “Rather, I try to use what I know, I feel, and what I have learned to provide a safe, supportive, engaging, and productive learning environment for students.”
As this award — and others — suggest, Sportel’s approach works. “He is one of the most talented and gifted special education teachers I have known in my career,” says Kendall Forrester, Director of Special Education for the Carpinteria Unified School District. Adds Newhall School District Superintendent Paul Cordeiro, who worked with Sportel for eight years, “He is an elite teacher who treats his students with love and respect. In turn, his students give their best efforts.”
His demonstrated excellence is not limited to the results he gets in the classroom, however. “His high level of expertise is evident, and though he demonstrates these abilities daily, he is a lifelong learner and regularly attends staff development and training to remain cutting edge in his field,” Forrester notes. Eager to share his expertise with others, Sportel also gives presentations on trends in special education at CSU Channel Islands. He also mentors student teachers and student psychologists from Channel Islands, Antioch, Westmont, and UCSB.
Sportel says he gets tremendous satisfaction from observing the gains his students make in the classroom. But he has also seen firsthand the benefits special needs children enjoy from physical accomplishments as well. “One area of community involvement that I’m particularly proud of is my participation in the Special Olympics for over a decade,” he says. “During these events, having the community by my side promoting confidence in our students is amazing.”
Despite the many successes Sportel has enjoyed in the classroom, he remains sensitive to the larger issues faced by the special population he serves. “We spend much of our time collecting and analyzing academic data in professional learning communities,” he observes, “but how much of that time are we using to put our heads together and figure out how to encourage students to express themselves appropriately and routinely?”
That is indeed a pressing question, and one for which Sportel will be uniquely positioned to seek answers in his role of Teacher of Year. As Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year, Sportel will be available to speak countywide. He can be reached at 684-4141, or by calling Steven Keithley, Director of Teacher Programs and Support for the Santa Barbara County Education Office at 964-4710, ext. 5281.
