Schools

Walnut Creek Intermediate Math Teacher Nominated for County Teacher of the Year

Diane Dias is one of 20 teachers in Contra Costa nominated for county teacher of the year.

Diane Dias, who teaches algebra and sixth-grade math at Walnut Creek Intermediate, has been named the Walnut Creek School District's teacher of the year.

As Patch , two teachers from the Mount Diablo Unified School District, including Sue Noce, a foreign-language teacher at Foothill Middle School, have been named their district's teachers of the year. 

These three are among the 20 teachers from 16 Contra Costa County public school districts, the Contra Costa Community College District and the Contra Costa County Office of Education who have won this distinction, said Jonathan B. Lance, 
communications specialist with the Contra Costa County Office of Education. The 20 teachers are now eligible to compete in the county Teacher of the Year competition. The winner of the countywide competition will represent Contra Costa at the state Teacher of the Year program in the fall. 

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"Once again, we have selected an outstanding group of talented and dedicated educators who not only represent their individual schools and school districts, but also embody all of the exceptional teachers we are so fortunate to have in our county," said Joseph Ovick, Contra Costa County superintendent of schools. 

There are more than 8,200 teachers educating approximately 167,000 students in Contra Costa County’s public schools, Lance said.

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The county's teacher of the year program is run by the county Office of Education, which uses a three-stage selection process.  

A committee of 12 representatives from the county’s education, business and public sectors have reviewed the applications submitted by the school districts. Five teachers will be selected to go on to the next phase as semi-finalists.

In late April and early May, a small committee of education specialists and business leaders will observe the semi-finalists working in the classroom. Then the committee will interview the candidates. The names of the three finalists will be announced in late May. In August, the three finalists will give a three- to five-minute speech before another panel of educators and business and public sector representatives. 

The county teacher of the year will be announced at a dinner Sept. 15, at which all 20 district teachers of the year will be honored.  


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