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State Honors Presented To Escalon Educators
HONORS
Recognized by the Association of California School Administrators for excellence in their job performance were, from left, Escalon Unified School District personnel Kelly Robinson, Chief Business Official; school board member Al Caton; and Lisa Cheney, Director of Special Education. - photo by Marg Jackson/The Times

A trio of Escalon Unified School District personnel was honored at the Tuesday night, May 20 school board meeting – recognized for their selection as 2014 honorees in the Administrator of the Year Awards.

Presented by the Association of California School Administrators, Escalon Unified School District Superintendent Ron Costa said it is unprecedented to have three honorees from the same district.

“It speaks to our personnel,” Costa said, noting the high level honors were well-deserved and the employees are a true asset to the district.

The three were presented with their awards from ACSA Region 7 by Costa at the board meeting. Honorees were Kelly Robinson Al Caton and Lisa Cheney.

Kelly Robinson was selected as the Business Services Administrator of the Year and serves as Chief Business Official for the Escalon Unified School District.

“Through her meticulous planning and effective oversight, Kelly is able to ensure the reality of the district’s mission – ‘All students can learn at high levels’,” noted her nomination. “In her daily actions, Kelly exemplifies the core belief that through effective budgeting, all instructional staff can be provided with the needed resources to ensure the success of all students, making sure that funds are available for instructional materials and on-going professional development for teachers, aides, and support personnel.”

She has been with the district for over 20 years.

Al Caton was tapped as the Unified School District Board Member of the Year. He has been a board member for 23 years.

“His dedication to the school community has been marked by a passionate commitment to the education of the students of Escalon USD and an unwavering vision of the board’s role in providing a rigorous program that ensures all students equal access to educational opportunities,” said the nomination information. “A product of the Escalon school system, Al is a highly visible, easily accessible, widely known, and a respected member of the school community.”

Lisa Cheney, Director of Special Education for EUSD, received honors as the Special Education Administrator of the Year.

“Lisa is a true champion for all children in Escalon Unified School District, establishing a clear vision centered on the belief that all students, regardless of ability can learn at high levels,” said her nomination. “What makes Lisa unique is the moral imperative she places on being proactive in meeting the needs of the district’s students.”

Among those efforts, since taking over as Director of Special Education, she has implemented a three-tiered RTI program, an early reading program for kindergartners, a team based approach for review of individual student needs, Read 180 and “set the standard to leverage available resources to support effective instructional practices for all teachers, special and general ed.”