The Ventura Commerce and Education Foundation (VCEF) named John Williamson, of the Academy of Technology and Leadership at Saticoy (ATLAS) in Ventura, September’s Teacher of the Month. VCEF board member, Pattie Braga, along with elected representatives and members of the business community, presented Williamson with a plaque to commemorate the award on Sept. 30.
Williamson was recognized for his leadership abilities, dedication to his fourth and fifth grade students, and participation in numerous educational committees. As head of the ATLAS Lighthouse Leadership Team, Williamson led the staff in developing the mission statement, goals and an implementation plan for the school’s leadership magnet program. He also represents ATLAS on Ventura Unified School District’s math benchmark committee and on its report card committee, as well.
“John is viewed as a mentor by his students and as a respected leader by his fellow staff members,” said ATLAS’ principal, Jennifer Duston. “He does whatever it takes to help his students be successful.”
Williamson’s seven years of teaching experience are supplemented by his regular attendance at classes and workshops on key instructional methods, including visual thinking strategies (VTS), developing mathematical ideas (DMI) and the Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) instructional model.
Teacher of the Month nominees must be credentialed teachers and display certain qualities, such as outstanding commitment to students, service to school or district committees, involvement in projects on their own time and/or participation in youth-focused activities. For more information about the Teacher of the Month program, please contact Pattie Braga, chair of the VCEF Teacher Appreciation Committee, at [email protected] or 477-4052.
The Ventura Commerce and Education Foundation (VCEF), under the auspices of the Ventura Chamber of Commerce, works to provide a business link to the economic, educational, cultural and environmental interests of the Ventura regional community. More information about the VCEF can be found at venturachamber.com/ventura-commerce-education-foundation.
