St. Helena High School teacher Madeline Breazeale has been selected as 2023 Teacher of the Year for the St. Helena Unified School District.
Breazeale teaches AVID 10, AP World History, and holds the position of leadership/activities director. She has also served as yearbook adviser, school site council representative, site technology committee member and access period mentor.
“From the minute she stepped onto the campus of St. Helena High School, her impact was immediate,” Principal Benjamin Scinto said. “Madeline is one of those teachers who truly understands the art of education, maintaining high expectations while at the same time remaining flexible given the varied needs of students, parents and our community. Madeline is quoted weekly, if not daily, as saying, ‘This is my dream job,’ reminding herself and others of our collective purpose to serve students and our community.”
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Local school districts were asked to identify their nominees for consideration as Napa County Teacher of the Year. Seven candidates are selected as candidates for the award. The Napa Valley Unified School District was granted five spots and all other districts received one spot, with Howell Mountain and Pope Valley sharing a single representative. All nominees had to submit to their home district a participant agreement form signed by their principal, a letter of recommendation from the principal, and an essay that highlighted the nominee’s personal teaching style, student engagement strategies and teaching philosophy. Each district developed its own process and timeline for selection.
This year, 50 SHUSD teachers received 191 nominations from staff, students, parents and community members for the honor of St. Helena Teacher of the Year. Of the 50 nominees, 10 accepted the nomination and submitted an application packet for consideration.
Breazeale and three finalists, Anna-Alicia Fullmer, Judith Aschwanden and Hannah Waters, will be honored at the school district’s board meeting Feb. 15, 2023. Additionally, Breazeale will move on to the county level, where she will compete with the seven other district nominees. The county team will review all submitted materials and conduct a virtual or in-person site visit to each nominee’s classroom. The county will announce its winner April 21 and begin working with the candidate over the summer to complete the application for California Teacher of the Year.
Everywhere, it seems, back-to-school has been shadowed by worries of a teacher shortage. The U.S. education secretary has called for investment to keep teachers from quitting. A teachers union leader has described it as a five-alarm emergency. News coverage has warned of a crisis in teaching. In reality, there is little evidence to suggest teacher turnover has increased nationwide or educators are leaving in droves. Certainly, many schools have struggled to find enough educators. But the challenges are related more to hiring, especially for non-teaching staff positions. Schools flush with federal pandemic relief money are creating new positions and struggling to fill them at a time of low unemployment and stiff competition for workers of all kinds. Since well before the COVID-19 pandemic, schools have had difficulty recruiting enough teachers in some regions, particularly in parts of the South. Fields like special education and bilingual education also have been critically short on teachers nationwide.
Photos: Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School promotion in St. Helena, 2022
Lucia Missaggia
Lucia Missaggia receives her eighth-grade diploma from RLS Middle School Principal Karin Cox.
Lola Honig, Crystal Cendejas Sepulveda and Ella Landstrom
Lola Honig, Crystal Cendejas Sepulveda and Ella Landstrom prepare to lead the Pledge of Allegiance during Thursday's promotion ceremony at RLS Middle School
Larsen Moura
Larsen Moura receives his eighth-grade diploma from RLS Principal Karin Cox.
Tony Wilmoth and Lucy Hoffmeister
Tony Wilmoth and Lucy Hoffmeister march during the June 9 eighth-grade promotion ceremony at RLS Middle School.
Yadira Pelayo Avina
Yadira Pelayo Avina sings the national anthem.
Seth Williams
Seth Williams walks up to receive his eighth-grade diploma.
Michelle Martinez-Alcala
Michelle Martinez-Alcala addresses the audience at Thursday's RLS Middle School promotion.
Jacob Zuniga and Jennifer Jacinto-Ventura
Eighth-graders Jacob Zuniga and Jennifer Jacinto-Ventura march during the June 9 promotion ceremony at RLS Middle School.
Fernando Salomon Ochoa
Fernando Salomon Ochoa walks up to receive his eighth-grade diploma.
St. Helena High School Principal Ben Scinto
St. Helena High School Principal Ben Scinto addresses his future students during eighth-grade promotion at RLS Middle School.
RLS Middle School eighth-grade class
The RLS Middle School eighth-grade class.
RLS Middle School promotion
Parents and other supporters attend Thursday's eighth-grade promotion at RLS Middle School.
