Some YUHSD teachers to get bonus

Yuma Union High School District teachers receiving Proposition 301 funding will be receiving an extra $1,200 in their paychecks Friday, an increase from this time last year when they received about $700.

During the Dollars in the Classroom report, released March 1 by the Arizona Auditor General's Office, YUHSD director of financial services Dianne Cordery noted Wednesday that teachers in the district who qualify will be receiving the additional money thanks to an increase in Prop 301 funds.

In other board meeting news, the YUHSD Special Education Department was acknowledged for receiving an Arizona Department of Education grant for the third year in a row. It will be used to further transition education services as well as to foster the development of the community transition team, which exists to improve post-school outcomes for district students with disabilities.

“Special education transition planning is an essential step in preparing our students with disabilities to assume adult roles,” said YUHSD director of special services Lisa Anderson. “Transition planning focuses on the student's future goals, empowering them to create a personal vision and identifying opportunities to help them meet their current needs as they transition into post-secondary education and training, employment and quality adult life.”

Diana Garcia, YUHSD special education transition specialist, told the governing board about the transition programs on district campuses along with teachers from Yuma, Kofa and Cibola high schools, community agency representatives and a Cibola High School student.

Garcia said the school transition programs partner with a handful of businesses and community nonprofit organizations in Yuma to provide students with hands-on activities to build various job skills for the future.

Representatives from Habitat for Humanity, Humane Society of Yuma and the Yuma County Library District spoke at the meeting about how their agencies have benefited from having YUHSD special education students volunteer at their organizations.

Rebecca McSween, Yuma County Library District volunteer coordinator, said they have students from both Cibola and Yuma high schools volunteer at the library.

“This is our second year and we love, love, love having them come visit. They're cleaning our books, they're inspecting our books and looking for damage, they erase any markings inside the books.

“It is a hard task ... They have to learn proper techniques to cleaning, they come in and sign in and then they go and get their supplies ... They actually probably clean about 150 books in an hour and they come once a month.”

McSween said it is a job that has to be done to make sure books are clean and germ-free, so it is great to have students who are committed and willing to work.

“We love to work,” said Cibola High School special education student Alejandra Gill about herself and her fellow classmates.

Also Wednesday, Teacher of the Year nominees were recognized from schools across the district in the categories of Teacher of the Year and First Year Teacher of the Year.

2013 Teacher of the Year nominees:

Brandon Stroup - Cibola High School

Chad Williams - Cibola High School

Michelle Ellenburg - Gila Ridge High School

David Hannah - Gila Ridge High School

Tom Spanton - Kofa High School

Robert Vitello - Kofa High School

Jim Saladin - San Luis High School

Andrea Woodahl - San Luis High School

Gaudelia Castro-Moreno - Vista Alternative High School

Marlie Meza - Yuma High School

Jason McCutcheon - Yuma High School

2013 First Year Teacher of the Year nominees:

Lauren Wischhusen - Cibola High School

Greg Brown - Gila Ridge High School

Mastery Gunnery Sgt. Eric Holland - Kofa High School

Furqan Muhammad - San Luis High School

Evan Chamberlain - Yuma High School

Sarah Womer can be reached at swomer@yumasun.com or 539-6858. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSSarahWomer or on Twitter at @YSSarahWomer.