Striving Toward Equitable Communities - Employee Recognitions
Striving Toward Equitable Communities
At East Side, perhaps now more than ever, we need to strive toward Equitable Communities as we pivot toward distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. But what does this mean? It means that we are continuing to strengthen our understanding, actions, and policies in order to continue building capacity among all staff members to ensure that equity and inclusion are essential principles of our school system.

It is incumbent on each and every one of us as employees of East Side to be committed to these principles, from myself as superintendent, to our teachers, PCIS, attendance clerks, directors, maintenance and operation, and so forth. It takes all of us to achieve success for our students! As coined by philosopher Aristotle, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, which aptly describes us as a team joined together in this monumental effort.

Every month, we will be recognizing our employees in order to showcase the people behind our student success! Below are examples of our employees creating Equitable Communities at East Side Union High School District.

Thank you for all that you do!

With gratitude,
Chris D. Funk
Superintendent
Matt Sapone
Calero High School
Adult Transition Program

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked at Calero High School? 7 years.
  2. What do you like most about your job? I truly love what we are trying to do. I love the idea that we are supporting students from being people who look to their teachers for guidance to independent thinkers who learn tools to manage their adult life more independently. I really am proud when we accomplish this.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? There are little glimmers that show me we are succeeding. When students advocate for themselves as an instinct, I know we are on the right track. When they ask for help at their challenging moments and also call when they are proud of their accomplishments. These are the clues that tell me we are on the right track.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? When I was in college I thought I would be a physical therapist. My program asked me to do an internship anywhere as part of the program. I found a school for students with autism and was absolutely hooked. The idea that every time a student walks in the door I have an opportunity to use my skills to support and I get to learn new skills every single time. I am really proud of our work and look forward to a great year.

Kudos from the Adult Transition Program Coordinator & Principal:
"Matt is the ultimate team player. He works behind the scenes to help staff, tirelessly collaborates with families, and uses creative cutting-edge strategies, and gets the most out of his students. He is always thinking of ways to make the department better and encourages change and forward thinking. He is the epitome of what a teacher should be." - ATP Coordinator, Aaron Lott 

"Matt is doing an excellent job during distance learning. He goes out of the way to reach students and families and he also creates a warm, engaging environment in his virtual classroom." - Principal Liz Gutierrez
Yvonne Zolna
Mt. Pleasant High School
Special Education, Mod/Severe Teacher

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked at Mt. Pleasant High School? 3 years (10 years total for ESUHSD).
  2. What do you like most about your job? The variety of subjects and things I get to do with my students.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? When a student of mine does something on their own, even talk back when it means they are speaking for themselves. Too many people dismiss how important it is for students with special needs to be able to be their own self-advocates in their own way.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? I am terrified of public speaking, and I would rather be on stage with a group than alone. I talk too much to cover up my nervousness.

Kudos from the Principal:
"Yvonne is in her third year at Mt. Pleasant and has become an integral part of the Special Education Department. She is being recognized for connecting with her students and keeping them engaged in our current Distance Learning environment. It is clear that her students enjoy having her as a teacher." - Principal David E. Brown
Melanie Neethling
Piedmont Hills High School
Social Studies Department, Psychology Teacher

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked at Piedmont Hills High School? 9 years.
  2. What do you like most about your job? I like witnessing the "light bulb" go off for students when they learn something new. When students get so excited to share with me about the real-world connections they've made to class content, it makes my day.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? When students share with me that they look forward to coming to my class and tell me that they know I care for their well being.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? I sang the National Anthem at my college graduation.

Kudos from the Principal:
"Melanie is an amazing teacher who is passionate about her subject area and having her students share this enthusiasm. She is a model of addressing social emotional learning in the classroom without losing the rigor of the course work. She has not been slowed by the constraints of distance learning and has instead found the silver lining in our current reality. Her positivity is infectious, and I love having her as part of the Pirate staff." - Principal Ginny Davis 
Diana Castillo
Independence High School
Attendance Clerk

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked at Independence High School? 23 years (24 years total for ESUHSD).
  2. What do you like most about your job? What I like most about my job is being able to help others.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? I know that I have made a difference when I put a smile on a face.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? People do not know that I started working for ESUHSD when I was 18 years old.

Kudos from the Principal:
"Ms. Castillo is a true Sixer, helping guide our students, community, and staff to make sure they are taken care of. She is dedicated to helping our community and maintaining the family feeling in our office and on our campus. She is communicative and diligent in providing excellent customer service." - Principal Bjorn Berg 
Adrian Guzman
Education Center
Business Services, Account Analyst

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUHSD? 5 years.
  2. What do you like most about your job? Most people who know me would tell you that my face lights up the moment I get a chance to talk about my job. That's because as a born and raised Eastsider, I want to prove to others that I am an asset to my community. In essence, what I do is an essential component in keeping student-raised funds safe from misuse and maintain accurate district accounting records that align us with CSAM. The truth is that there will never be just one thing because there are too many elements that I do enjoy. However, the aspect that I most appreciate is working with complex financial records and making them comprehensible to our staff and students.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? I believe that we are all in positions that make a difference every day that directly or indirectly affects a student's future. I know I make a difference because I get a lot of feedback from staff about the presentations that I facilitate. This allows me to take a step back and reflect on the positive outcome that is generated from the information I have provided to others. I feel accomplished knowing that my presentations can empower and motivate staff that directly work with students. I may not see the bigger picture in terms of the difference I make, however, I truly appreciate it when I receive a "thank you" from staff, teachers, parents, and students.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? When I was a student at James Lick High School, I organized a group of at-risk youth from different backgrounds to create music. It turned out that I was able to provide them with an outlet to express themselves. It eventually got one of my most at-risk artists working with more prominent artists in the rap music genre.

Kudos from the manager:
"Adrian’s contributions to the district are incredible! The ASB knowledge and expertise that he brings, and continues to strengthen, is an invaluable source of information to the district. It has not gone unnoticed the time and care that he gives to the school sites to support, advise, and train and it is truly wonderful to witness the relationships that he has built over the years.

To the immediate team he brings an energy that encourages support and leadership. Always offering a helping-hand, taking the lead on projects, and keeping a positive “we can do it” attitude when we need it most, strengthens the camaraderie on our team.

He’s a rock star – we’re lucky to have him on our team. Thank you for all that you do, Adrian!" - Fiscal & Payroll Manager, Marisol Esparza 
Keila Garcia
Evergreen Valley High School
Counseling Technician

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked at Evergreen Valley High School? 1 year.
  2. What do you like most about your job? I like to be able to assist people and make a positive impact in the lives of parents and students at Evergreen Valley High School. To be able to help people gives me satisfaction. I like helping provide a welcoming environment.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? I know I have made a difference when the once concerned parent or student leaves pleased because I have been able to help them with their questions or concerns.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? I was born and raised in Fresno and relocated to San Jose in my early 20's. I love attending different sports events and watching horror movies.

Kudos from the Principal:
"Keila has been a transformative presence in our counseling department. She is incredibly kind and welcoming to all our students and families. What impresses me most about Keila is that she always has a smile on her face, is incredibly well organized, and exudes kindness and compassion. She is truly making a difference at EVHS for our staff, students, and families." - Principal Kyle Kleckner
Chris Tikelis
Calero High School
Math Teacher

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked at Calero High School? 4 years.
  2. What do you like most about your job? What I like most about my job is that Calero takes the emotional well-being of the student as first priority; it's a small school with a more family oriented holistic approach to what we do.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? I know I've made a difference when one or more persons at the school: staff or student, including myself, say 'I love you' and mean it.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? Something people might not know about me is that I've taught for over twenty years in this country and abroad.

Kudos from the Principal:
"Chris is a dedicated teacher who is focused on helping his students flourish during distance learning. He notices when students are struggling and is diligent to find solutions. He has a desire to see students do well both academically and emotionally." - Principal Liz Gutierrez  
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If you have positive stories about teachers, staff, students and exciting events at your site, we'd like to know about it. Email Linda Ornelas at [email protected].