Holmes and Yuen Teachers of the Year

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Kern County Teachers of the Year Sloan Holmes and Louis Yuen

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Kern County Teacher of the Year Louis Yuen shared his proud moment with Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry E. Reider.

If one were to write a motto to describe Kern County’s Teachers of the Year - Stockdale High health teacher Sloan Holmes and Sunset School music teacher Louis Yuen - it would probably read the same - "Don’t Give Up." Both were selected from a distinguished field of 37 educators in an awards reception on May 6 at the Kern County Museum to represent Kern County in the California Teacher of the Year competition. Carrie Atkin, a preschool special education teacher with the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) Office and Rick Francis, AVID and English teacher at Golden Valley High School were honored as alternates for the award. The California Department of Education (CDE) sponsors the annual California Teacher of the Year program.

The county program, sponsored by KCSOS, featured teachers nominated for the award by their schools and districts. A committee of educators and volunteers reviewed all the applications. Recent site visits were made to the top candidates. All 37 nominees received plaques and certificates.

Recognizing each of the nominees for their accomplishments, Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry E. Reider told them, "Education in Kern has many things of which to be proud. To this proud list of accomplishments, we can add our ‘Teachers of the Year’ nominees. They represent the very best of our many fine teachers - those that daily make sure a child learns the skills necessary to succeed in later life."

Holmes has been teaching for 17 years and was selected by CDE to serve on the committee that formalized guidance standards for state health instruction. Her classroom curriculum includes anti-tobacco lessons and information about HIV and AIDS, along with nutrition, hygiene and drug prevention. Holmes’ students learn about cultures, stereotypes, stress and respect. She has been a pioneer for the Kern High School District in developing programs such as "Project Success" for foster children, "Too Good for Drugs and Violence" for prevention and "Making Standards Work" for curriculum. Her credo is to "Teach with passion because it really matters."

"My advice to children, parents and teachers is the same - don’t give up," Holmes said. "I’m not going to give up on you, and I want you to believe in yourself, even if the struggle is long. Treat each new day as if it is the first day of the rest of your life. Things can turn around. My own son had a brain tumor, and he’s fine. I’ll say it again, don’t give up."

Yuen has spent 36 years teaching music. He says his biggest challenge, and eventually his biggest accomplishment, was coming to Sunset School in 1986, where he started the school’s first band with 17 students, none of whom owned an instrument. The school instruments were obsolete, and he spent many hours repairing and improvising to make them work. All the hard work paid off. Today Sunset’s band has a rating of "Superior" from the California Music Educators Instrumental Rating Festival. His philosophy over the years has been, "Teach with the resources available and do so with high expectations."

"The playing field will never be completely level," Yuen added. "Just pick up the instrument and march with it. Don’t wait. As teaching professionals, we should waste no time. With students’ will and teachers’ skill, great things are bound to happen regardless of adverse circumstances."

Atkin came to her teaching position after volunteering with the elderly. As a young adult, she began working with children at the Jamieson Children’s Center. She discovered that was her love and has carried it over to teaching of preschool special education children for KCSOS at the Claude W. Richardson Child Development Center. Her early intervention program addresses young students’ challenges continually, creatively and with consistency. Her professional outlook is, "I am able to create an atmosphere of learning for students with special needs that embraces the fact that they are, above all else, simply children."

Francis is in his second career, following 22 years as a fulltime pastor. He began teaching at Maricopa High in 2000, after encouraging members of his congregation urged him to do so. He moved over to Golden Valley in 2004. His colleagues say of Francis’ ability to teach AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and English, plus tutor students, that he has "compassion, empathy and a determination regarding student success." Francis feels, "Classrooms need to be student-centered places of discovery and learning, and it is my job to make that happen."

The intent of the CDE Teacher of the Year program is to:

  • Identify and honor outstanding teachers throughout California;
  • Select five teachers to serve as California Teachers of the Year for 2008-09 who will represent the state’s teachers and stand for positive contributions to the teaching profession;
  • Focus public attention on the positive accomplishments of California teachers and students;
  • Identify one teacher for competition in the National Teacher of the Year Program.

2007-08 Kern County Teachers of the Year Nominees

Julie Arciaga, Morningside School, Delano Union School District
Carrie Atkin, Claude W. Richardson Child Development Center, Kern County Superintendent of Schools
Craig Austin, Centennial High, Kern High School District
Ray Ayala, East Bakersfield High, Kern High School District
Gina Belluomini, Kendrick School, Greenfield Union School District
Darlene Boyce-Gonzalez, Blanton Educational Center, Kern County Superintendent of Schools
David Braun, South High, Kern High School District
Elaine Dorlis, Thompson Jr. High, Panama-Buena Vista Union School District
Jerri Dunham, Highland High, Kern High School District
Stephen Fleischer, Stine School, Panama-Buena Vista Union School District
Frederick "Rick" Francis, Golden Valley High, Kern High School District
Randy Green, Mojave Elementary, Mojave Unified School District
Daniel R. Halbur, Foothill High, Kern High School District
Jeanne Hanson, Planz Elementary, Greenfield Union School District
Patricia M. Henderson, West Boron Elementary, Muroc Joint Unified School District
Sloan Turner Holmes, Stockdale High, Kern High School District
Douglas Ihmels, Pond School, Pond Union School District
Tom Karnes, Monroe High, Tehachapi Unified School District
Shane Koerner, Sierra Middle, Bakersfield City School District
Tina Kwon, West High, Kern High School District
Kelly Lawler, Delano High, Delano Joint Union High School District
Amy Luther, Stonecreek Jr. High, Panama-Buena Vista Union School District
Karen Mayberry, Almond Tree Middle, Delano Union School District
Lesly Minney, Curran Middle, Bakersfield City School District
Mary Ann Morgan, South Fork Middle, South Fork Union School District
Sharleen Myers, Harris School, Bakersfield City School District
Jo Ann Rivera, Myrtle Ave. School, Lamont School District
Laurie Rodriguez, Jefferson Middle, Wasco Union Elementary School District
Frank Russell, Wasco Union High, Wasco Union High School District
Fidelina Saso, Thomas Middle, Lost Hills Union School District
Jill Shaw, Wallace Middle, Kernville Union School District
Navdeep Singh, Liberty High, Kern High School District
Karen Lee Smith, Monroe Middle, Sierra Sands Unified School District
Dana Thompson, Buttonwillow Elementary, Buttonwillow Union School District
Melissa Varela, Highland Elementary, Standard School District
Anna Wilder, Ridgeview High, Kern High School District
Louis Yuen, Sunset School, Vineland School District


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