A Monrovia middle school teacher was one of 16 teachers chosen last weekend as Los Angeles County's Teachers of the Year.
The 16 were selected from a field of 71 teachers who participated in the 31st Annual Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year competition. All participants had been recently selected as teacher of the year by their respective school districts.
Clifton Middle School teacher Kyle McClure was one of the 16 teachers chosen for the honor. A full list of the winning teachers can be found here.
Monrovia Unified School District Superintendent Linda Wagner called McClure "an amazing teacher" in an email to Patch.
"He seems to have a natural talent to spark interest in his students," Wagner wrote. "He teaches in ways that not only convey the content but also fascinate his students. He is animated, fun, friendly, and endlessly brilliant as he instructs. Kyle uses a variety of tools to teach, all employed in creative ways. It is simply impossible to be bored in Mr. McClure's class! We are extremely proud of Kyle McClure, Teacher of the Year!"
The winning educators will serve as standard bearers for the teaching profession and their more than 76,000 classroom colleagues across Los Angeles County.
County Superintendent of Schools Arturo Delgado said it is part of the oldest and most prestigious honors contest in the United States for public school teachers.
"These are dedicated women and men who everyday make the most of a precious opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of their students," Delgado said at a banquet Friday at Universal City.
In addition to being interviewed, contestants submitted essays, lesson plans and other materials to judging panels comprised of education peers. The 16 L.A. County winners automatically advance with other county titlists from around the state to the California Teachers of the Year competition this fall.
The state is scheduled to announce its five winners in November. One of them will be chosen to represent California in the National Teacher of the Year contest next spring. The 16 L.A. County Teachers of the Year received a $1,000 cash prize courtesy of the California Credit Union, the program's main sponsor.
