The James Logan Courier

By Rick La Plante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer

Mikey McKelvey, a seventh-grade teacher at Alvarado Middle School, has been selected as the New Haven Unified School District’s Teacher of the Year, it was announced during the Board of Education meeting Tuesday night. Lenora Matthews, a campus monitor and noon supervisor at Searles Elementary, was named Classified Employee of the Year.

A New Haven teacher for 18 years, including 14 at AMS, Mikey McKelvey also serves as a coach for Writers Workshop, the District’s research-based approach to literacy instruction. A member of the school’s Instructional Leadership team, she also has served as a department head, a curriculum leader and a literacy coordinator, as well as on School Site Council, the Site-Based Decision-Making Team and the Curriculum Budget Committee. She is a National Board certified teacher in both English/language arts and social science/history.

By Rick La Plante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer

Cheri Benafield, assistant principal at Alvarado Elementary, and Anthony La Rue, a highly regarded young educator from San Diego, have been hired as principals at Pioneer and Eastin elementary schools, respectively, and Hui Stevens has been promoted from assistant principal to acting principal at Alvarado Middle School.

The New Haven Unified School District Board of Education approved the appointments Tuesday night. The Board also approved the appointment of veteran educator Geri Isaacson, currently overseeing professional development for nearly two dozen schools in Oakland Unified, as the District’s Director of Instructional Support.