GILROY—Two months after South Valley Middle School teacher Carmen Kotto was named CSN Bay Area 2015 All-Star Teacher, she and school officials know just how the $20,000 will be spent.
“As far as the money goes … it needs to go to help students in need,” Kotto said, a sentiment echoed by SVMS’s principal, Anisha Munshi.
“The funds will be used to provide intervention services for students that are performing below grade level in the areas of math and Language Arts,” she said.
“In the past, the morning support was offered only to students in Ms. Kotto’s class, but this year those services will be extended to all 6th graders. One of the Language Arts teachers will be tutoring English Language Learners in the area of reading comprehension and writing.”
Kotto was named the CSN Bay Area 2015 All-Star Teacher on July 8, on the field prior to the start of a San Francisco Giants baseball game.
“CSN and Provident Credit Union are honored to name Carmen Kotto the 2015 All-Star Teacher and to present her with a $20,000 check for South Valley Middle School,” announced Ted Griggs, president and general manager of CSN Bay Area and CSN California on that day in front of all the baseball fans.
In August, a similar ceremony took place in front of the SVMS student body, members of the school board and Kotto’s colleagues and school staff.
“It’s overwhelming to see that there has been so much support for me in this whole process,” Kotto told the Dispatch.
“I was so nervous when I was told that the big check would be given to me in front of all of the South Valley staff. When they gave the big check to me in front of 900-plus students and staff I was overcome with joy because everyone was yelling and the whole gym seemed incredibly happy. I don’t like being the center of attention at all but I was in tears when I realized they were all there for me. I felt such pride to be part of SVMS during the assembly,” Kotto said.
A panel of judges selected Kotto and four other nominees from a pool of 175 nominations.
South Valley teacher Patricia Torres Pedroza nominated Kotto, a 6th grade math and science teacher for the past seven years, for the award when All-Star Teacher nomination forms were distributed to more than 200 Northern and Central California schools earlier this year.
Kotto also voluntarily teaches a 7 a.m. “intervention level” class for students who are at least two years below grade level, and has done so for more than a year without pay.
Now, not only will she be paid, but the program will be expanded to include other teachers and involve more students who need extra help.
“I am so proud to be the 2015 winner of the CSN Al-Star teacher. It also shows off my students who work so very hard to learn. Some struggle and they now know that whatever they put their mind to and that they have a passion for will come true,” Kotto said.
“Whenever I look back on the win it just makes me smile and makes me happy all over again. Every teacher needs to feel this same way at least once in their lifetime; actually everyone needs to feel this way, not just teachers,” she said.
