The Poway Unified School District proudly recognizes our teachers and announces that Dan Lutgen, Marissa Ochoa, and Leonora Persichina have been chosen as Poway Unified School District Teachers of the Year for 2006-2007 from a very distinguished list of school site teachers of the year.

A committee of past winners, school administrators, and a PTA representative selected the three district-level Teachers of the Year. They have all incorporated exemplary learning programs and are making a positive difference to the students of the Poway Unified School District.

Dan Lutgen

Rancho Bernardo High School 

AP European History Teacher

Being Congratulated by PUSD "2005 Teachers of the Year"

The Advanced Placement class is difficult, with clear and focused high expectations for students, and yet it is one of the most highly requested courses on the Rancho Bernardo High School campus. The teacher always arrives impeccably prepared, bringing with him the sheer force and excitement needed to persuade all students that history is really interesting. 

Dan Lutgen is that teacher. He is personally responsible for the growth of the Advanced Placement European History (APEC) classes from two sections with 60 students to seven sections with 250 students. Dan has accomplished this while still maintaining a high pass rate from his students.

“His course is one of the most requested on campus. The students like to be in Dan’s presence; he truly is a kid magnet and a great role model,” said Jeff King, Rancho Bernardo High School principal. 

Dan currently teaches Advanced Placement European Civilization (APEC). In addition, he is the Social Science Department Chair and the Academic Team coach. As one teacher noted in his nomination, “Mr. Lutgen is universally respected by the staff and adored by his students.” 

Dan is a lifetime learner. He believes passionately that education is a profession and treats it as such. He continually reads books on art, music, etc. that would enhance content knowledge of periods of history for his APEC classes. Using technology in the classroom, he implemented LCD Cornell note-taking strategies for the students to learn, a model helpful in other courses as well.

“My students are assured of cognitively working every moment of the hour,” said Dan who is very proud that despite the difficulty of an Advanced Placement course for sophomores, his students want to be in his classroom.

Dan has been teaching at RB High for 16 years. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State Northridge in Social Science and a Masters Degree in Educational Technology from National University.

Marissa Ochoa

Valley Elementary School

Fourth Grade Teacher

With Superintendent Don Phillips and Students

Marissa Ochoa knows that her students can benefit from education that goes far beyond their school facility. 

“The classroom goes far beyond its four walls, and for many students we must be the ones who take them beyond those walls,” said Marissa, a fourth grade teacher at Valley Elementary School. Integrating technology into the curriculum, students participate in author chats and write to prominent figures. The students increase their communication and computer skills as they work on projects independently and as a team. PowerPoint presentations and recorded CD’s of poems and songs offer the students motivation and a love of learning, as well as evidence of their learning throughout the year. 

“Marissa has demonstrated creativity and dedication since she came to Valley Elementary School as a student teacher. She has high expectations for all her students and is continually looking for ways to assist her students,” said Sue Smith, principal of Valley Elementary School. “Marissa provides a program for the whole child including art, drama, and music. When she decided to loop up with her students from third to fourth grade this year, her students and parents were ecstatic.”

Marissa is Valley’s GATE coordinator, Student Site Council chairperson, and will become co-coordinator for English Language Learners (ELL) for the 2006-07 school year. 

Marissa has been a teacher in the Poway Unified School District for four years. She received the Virginia Reid Scholarship award from California Association of Teachers of English. Marissa was also invited to attend the Scholastic Forum in New York City to evaluate the use of web publications and applications in classrooms. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychobiology from UCLA and her Masters Degree in Educational Technology from National University.

Marissa has worked as a facilitator with the Latino Family Literacy program, where she has trained parents to help their children understand stories better when they read books together in Spanish. She has also volunteered to work with the Los Angeles International Film Festival to promote awareness of Latinos in the film industry. Marissa’s students sold homemade bookmarks for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and they will be participating in the Race for Literacy in Balboa Park.

Leonora Persichina

Bernardo Heights Middle School

Critical Skills, Special Education Teacher

Congratulations from "2005 Teachers of the Year", 
Superintendent Don Phillips and Board Members

The students in Leonora Persichina’s middle school special education classroom work hard every day in an environment that incorporates academics, positive reinforcement, classroom organization, communication, and personal choice. 

Leonora Persichina is passionate about her role as advocate for her students. “Since starting in the field (of special education) as a classroom aide, I have grown to love and respect the field and use my outspoken voice and passion for what I do to represent my students and their needs,” said Leonora. She teaches students with severe learning disabilities at Bernardo Heights Middle School. “In giving my students the respect and dignity that they deserve and in teaching others not to be fearful of what they do not understand, I feel I have accomplished the small steps needed to bring awareness to those around me.”

Leonora’s message about her students is a powerful one: Special education students work just as hard as all other children. Although they may not be dealing with the same curriculum, their effort and need to learn is exactly the same.

“Leonora is an outstanding member of our special education team and an integral part of our Bernardo Heights team. She is a caring and committed teacher who creates realistic learning opportunities for her students,” said Elaine Johnson, Bernardo Heights Middle School principal. “Miss P. , as her students fondly call her, has become involved in campus-wide activities as a means of helping her students. The students feel comfortable attending dances, assembly activities, and evening events because they know Miss P. will be there.”

Leonora has developed a motivational and behavioral program that has resulted in meaningful learning skills for her students. Students earn points as a result of their schoolwork, behavior, and choices during the day. The points can be turned into classroom money and spent in the classroom store. The money can be saved for a group trip or activity decided by the class, or for an auction. Teaching opportunities have included working in the class store, bank, and recycling center. The program grows and changes as the needs in the classroom grow and change. Students are learning the concept of how their actions (choices) ultimately dictate their rewards and consequences. 

Leonora has been teaching for six years, and has taught in Poway Unified since 2002. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from San Diego State University and a Masters degree in Special Education from National University. At Bernardo Heights Middle School, Leonora is a team leader and has started a color guard team. She has organized walk-a-thons to raise money for occupational therapy equipment at the Stein Education Center, and has participated in various walks to help build awareness and raise funds for research for autism, multiple sclerosis, and cancer.