An Orcutt educator is the 2020 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year, and first-grade teacher Michele Frantz was recognized Thursday during a board meeting at the County Education Office in Santa Barbara.
She has been an educator for 24 years including almost five years as a teacher on special assignment while leading the Orcutt Union School District‘s English-language development implementation. She currently works at Joe Nightingale Elementary School.
“This is truly an honor, and I’m proud to have this opportunity to represent this profession,” Frantz said. “This doesn’t happen alone. I’m blessed to have so many people support me throughout my journey, my life, but also my career. I’m grateful to all of them.”
Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido announced the honoree and said part of what made Frantz stand out is her ability to understand and meet the needs of each student, whether academic, behavioral or social-emotional.
“Michele warmly greets each student while they find engineering tubs with three-dimensional shapes… and more, and while these are important tools, it’s the heart and soul that you will find in the classroom that helps softly guide the students each morning, each day,” Salcido said. “In Michele’s first-grade classroom, you will find her sprinkling smiles and giving attention to who might need it first thing in the morning.”
A sign inside Frantz’s classroom at Joe Nightingale Elementary School reads, “Believe in Yourself,” and it’s a message she wants all first-grade students to feel in class.
Frantz also serves on the school’s leadership team, a first-grade professional learning group, and she had a major role developing the Orcutt Union School District’s assessments for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten.
She was also named the 2018-2019 Orcutt Union School District Teacher of the Year.
Salcido said Frantz was diagnosed with cancer in 2013 and she returned to teaching in 2016.
Frantz is cancer-free six years later.
“That experience changed her life,” Salcido said. “It was during that challenging time, she wanted to be in the classroom where she found what she calls her ‘bliss — working with kids.’”
The Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year program recognizes and honors exceptional teachers on a district, state and national level, and the county winner is put into the running for consideration as California’s 2020 teacher of the year. The state winner moves forward in the competition for the 2020 national teacher of the year.
Frantz was selected from a pool of four finalists after a comprehensive review process conducted by a broad-based committee of administrators, local business leaders and Mandi de Witte, last year’s teacher of the year.
As County Teacher of the Year, Frantz will become the county’s designated representative July 1, when she succeeds de Witte.
As part of the award, Frantz also will be recognized at the Education Celebration May 23 in Buellton and the county’s Salute to Teachers event Nov. 2 in Santa Barbara.
Orcutt Union School District Superintendent Debbie Blow said she is “an amazing and inspirational teacher who is truly dedicated to helping each of her students achieve at their highest level.”
“She makes learning engaging and fun, and a life-long learner enjoys trying new strategies or technology,” she continued. “Michele is highly respected by her colleagues and parents for her dedication to Orcutt’s motto, where a dedicated staff means kids come first.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
