County to Honor Outstanding Teachers

The Los Angeles County Office of Education will honor its best and most influential teachers of the 1996-97 school year today at a luncheon in Universal City.

The 61 teachers being recognized were named teacher of the year by their districts last summer, and 12 of those represented the county in the California Teachers of the Year program in the fall.

Organizers said the luncheon at the Sheraton Universal Hotel is a way to honor teachers who received awards at several levels, from the district to the county and the state.

Carole Firestone, of Lindero Canyon Middle School in the Las Virgenes district, will be the keynote speaker. In October, the language arts teacher for the school’s gifted and talented education program was named one of five teachers of the year statewide.

Other teachers being honored include Marna R. Peterson of Agua Dulce School; Katherine Cushman of Quartz Hill High School; Diana Wong of William McKinley Elementary School in Burbank; Bruce Brotz of Castaic Middle School; Janice L. Pilgreen of Glendale High School; Dwight Bonds of San Fernando Juvenile Hall School in Sylmar; Barbara Barlow of Palmdale Learning Plaza Elementary School; Mary A. McKeon of Emblem Elementary School in Saugus, and Jerry Burrill of Valencia High School.

The teachers are chosen for the awards at each level based on several factors, including their answer to an open-ended question about the teaching profession, as well as their education history, professional development activities and philosophy of teaching, De la Torre said.