Pasadena Unified Teachers Win Local and National Accolades

Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) teachers have been recently acknowledged as some of the best of the best in their profession. Whether being named a Teacher of Excellence, member of a “dream team,” or participating in a research mission in Tahiti, PUSD instructors truly are some of the finest in the business.

2014 Pasadena Unified Teachers of Excellence

The Pasadena Rotary Club honored five PUSD educators as “Teachers of Excellence” during their annual ceremony in May that honors teachers who excel in their profession. This year’s honorees are: Ravishanth Dev Anandhan (Sierra Madre Middle School), Mellason Chidester, (Longfellow Elementary School), Rose Evans (Pasadena High School), Maria A. Soto (Willard Elementary School) and Kaiulani Sallas Venable (Jefferson Elementary School).

The Teachers of Excellence program is a collaborative effort between the Rotary Club, the PUSD, and the United Teachers of Pasadena. The Rotary Club invites all school principals and parent associations to nominate teachers for this honor, and a selection committee composed of administrators, principals, Rotarians and previous winners reviews the entries.

This year’s Teachers of Excellence recipients have distinguished themselves as teachers who engage students in learning, create an exciting classroom environment, and have a positive impact on the future of PUSD students. Finalists submitted an essay, and a video, filmed and produced by PUSD’s KLRN television station, to demonstrate classroom activity and discuss their personal experiences, perspectives, and goals.

Teachers of Excellence winners were honored during an awards ceremony May 21. One winner, Mellason Chidester, will have the additional honor of being named the PUSD nominee for Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year. Video vignettes about each of the winners can be found at gopusd.com/greatstaff.