Linda Okumura named Teacher of the Year
Linda Okumura, who has been a teacher for 34 years, was one of 16 educators named Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year. She teaches first grade at Pacific Elementary School. PHOTO BY COURTESY OF MBUSD When Linda Okumura was in fourth grade, her teacher, Mrs. Davis, visited her and her peers at their homes, making each and every one of them feel special. “She was an inspiration to me,” said Okumura, first-grade teacher at Pacific Elementary School. Last week, Okumura was one of 16 teachers named 2011-2012 Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year among K-12 educators. After 34 years working as a teacher, Okumura has been an inspiration to her own share of classrooms and students – from pre-schoolers and elementary schoolers to college students. “[She is] always challenging them as individuals to stretch the limits of their academic capabilities,” said Kim Linz, principal of Pacific Elementary School, in a statement. “She is a master at engaging students and discovering ways to bring the outside world into her first grade classroom.” In a letter of recommendation, Okumura’s former student, Brian Chao, who is now in eighth grade, wrote that she always goes the extra mile for her…
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