12 INSTRUCTORS PICKED FOR HART'S TEACHER OF YEAR.

Byline: Daily News

SANTA CLARITA - The Hart school district has named a dozen teachers - one from each campus - to its Teacher of the Year program.

All 12 teachers chosen by peers at their respective campuses will be honored in a series of recognition ceremonies this fall. One will be selected Sept. 8 to represent the William S. Hart Union High School District in the Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year competition.

Representing Canyon High School is student activities director Jan Hayes-Rennels. Hired by the district in 1996 as a substitute teacher, she came to Canyon High in 1997 as a biology teacher. She is the school's student government adviser and director of its medical internship program.

Social studies teacher Pete Pew represents Hart High School. A Hart faculty member since 1977, he initiated the Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics course and is one of two district high school teachers to serve on the AP test development committee.

James Klipfel, a social studies and psychology teacher, received the honor for Saugus High. He came to the school in 1995 after two years teaching at Placerita Junior High. He has served as head swim coach, a department chairman and Science Olympiad adviser.

Photography and ceramics teacher Faye Valentine is Valencia High's Teacher of the Year. One of the school's charter teachers, she has served as fine arts department chairwoman, and as photography club and yearbook adviser.

Arroyo Seco Junior High nominated U.S. history teacher and yearbook adviser Katherine Povletich. A staff member since 1996, she is the school's history department chairwoman and a member of the Hart District Advisory Committee.

English, drama and video production teacher Steve Jacobson represents La Mesa Junior High. He has mostly taught there since 1994, and is serving as the school's Associate Student Body adviser.

Wave Lee Stonerock, who works with non-English speakers as a language development instructor, is Placerita Junior High's Teacher of the Year. She began her career as an instructional assistant, and started teaching handicapped students at Sierra Vista Junior High in 1987. She also helped established the district's first summer Intensive Literacy Program.

Rio Norte Junior High - just a year old - selected Gina Painter as the first Teacher of the Year. A history teacher, she also is the school's history department chairwoman and drama director.

Government teacher Laura Erickson represents Sierra Vista Junior High, where she has taught since 1992. She began her career in the Hart district as a substitute teacher in 1982. Outside the classroom, she also serves as the teaching mentor and yearbook adviser.

Bowman High School handed the honor to math teacher Marlette Price. She is math department chairwoman at the continuation campus, and a member of the Hart district Math Curriculum Group.

Carolyn Hoffman is Golden Oak Adult School's Teacher of the Year. She came to the campus in 2000 as a teacher, and assisted efforts last year to help the school win accreditation.

Mike Ehrhart is Teacher of the Year at the Learning Post. His Hart district career began in 1979 as a work experience coordinator at Bowman High. When the nontraditional campus opened in 1980, he took on the program there as well. He moved to the Learning Post in 1987 to become a full-time teacher.