Local educators to be honored at gala event

Two teachers from La Mesa will be among the honorees at this year’s “Cox Presents: A Salute to Teachers” award program on Oct. 10 at the Balboa Theatre. This will be the 25th anniversary of the Academy Awards-style event that features celebrity emcees and presenters, musical and dance performances along the announcement of the 2015-16 San Diego County Teachers of the Year, who will go on to represent the region at the California Teacher of the Year program later this year.

Laura Auito of La Mesa teaches third and fourth grades at Lemon Avenue Elementary in La Mesa. She is being recognized for encouraging her students to question the status quo and to take small steps to achieve big ideas. Auito takes a creative approach to teaching while still incorporating data that she uses to steer her lessons and monitor her students’ progress. Her personal story as a nine-year breast cancer survivor is also inspiring.

La Mesa resident Laurie Baker-Worthington became pregnant the summer before her senior year. She credits her teacher and case manager at the pregnant minor program she was sent to with believing in her and encouraging her to go to college. As a teacher at Hilltop Middle School in Chula Vista, she believes her most important role is that of cheerleader for her students. Baker-Worthington is no stranger to teacher awards – she was recognized as the Greater San Diego Math Council Middle School Mathematics Teacher of the Year in 2010.

A total of 44 nominees for Teacher of the Year were selected by their respective school districts. Of those, five will be named County Teacher of the Year. The top five teachers are selected based on student achievement, professional development and community involvement, teaching philosophy and personal style, knowledge of educational issues and trends, promotion and development of the teaching profession, accountability and ability to serve as ambassadors of education.

Along with honoring the county’s 26,000 public school teachers, the gala event will feature celebrity hosts and presenters including former co-host of “The View” Sherri Shepard, San Diego broadcast journalist Dennis Morgigno and CNN correspondent Kyra Phillips who is a San Diego native and graduate of Helix High in La Mesa. Phillips is an especially appropriate host because of her reports on Iraqi students who risk their lives to attend school.

“Cox Presents: A Salute To Teachers” is a live show that begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10 at the Balboa Theater. Tickets can be purchased online at sandiegotheatres.org/a-salute-to-teachers, by calling the Balboa Theatre box office at 570-1100 (all San Diego area codes), or at the Balboa Theatre box office located at 868 Fourth Ave. in Downtown San Diego. A 10 percent discount is available by mentioning title sponsor San Diego County Credit Union. For more information, visit dcoe.net/salute.