Math teacher Anu Kuefner is Campolindo’s candidate for District Educator of the Year.

According to principal John Walker, each high school in the Acalanes School District selects a candidate for Educator of the Year. Teachers on campus send nominations to a school committee. The committee goes through the nominations and selects a name.

“Campo chose Mrs. Kuefner from several nominations,” Walker said.

“There’s a District-wide committee [that] comes and chooses the District Educator of the Year,” said Walker. After that, the District candidate continues on and is considered by the Contra Costa County along with other District nominees, for County Educator of the Year. “Then there’s State, and there may even be Nationals,” said Walker. “But that’s beyond me.”

Psychology and European history  instructor Paul Fitzgerald of Miramonte won the district-wide award over Kuefner and the nominations from Acalanes and Las Lomas.

Walker spoke highly of Campolindo’s representative. “She is always willing to take on new challenges,” he said. “For example, she took on Calculus as a new class last year, and this year she took on Computer Programming as a new class. We needed a new teacher, and she stepped up.”

“She’s a great collaborator,” Walker continued. He said that Kuefner works well with other teachers, such as planning lessons or selecting materials with them. “She’s active in the tutoring program,” he added.

“I think she’s helpful,” said sophomore Payton Ellis. “I know a lot of students really like her, so they probably took that into consideration. I think she deserved it.”

Walker added, “I think she’s a great choice and we’re lucky to have her.”

Kuefner was quick to point out that her teaching peers deserve credit as well. “All the teachers at this school work well together,” she said. “So even though I got it [the nomination], I feel lucky to work with a great group of teachers.”