Four Educators Named San Diego County Teachers of the Year During Live Television Extravaganza.

SAN DIEGO -- Four educators were named San Diego County Teachers of the Year during "Cox Presents: A Salute to Teachers, brought to you by San Diego National Bank," a television extravaganza produced by Cox Communications in cooperation with the San Diego County Office of Education. Chosen from a field of 49 nominees from local school districts, the new San Diego County Teachers of the Year are: Cheri Gabler of West Hills High School (Grossmont Union High), Judy Leff of Paul Ecke Central School (Encinitas Union), Pam Moorehead of City Heights Community School (San Diego County Office of Education) and Eduardo Ochoa of Marston Middle School (San Diego Unified).

The four teachers will now go on to represent San Diego County for the California Teacher of the Year award, which will be announced later this year. Nominees for San Diego County Teacher of the Year were selected by their school districts based on student achievement, teaching philosophy, familiarity with current issues in education and community involvement.

Televised on Channel 4 San Diego, "Cox Presents: A Salute to Teachers" will replay on Channel 4 San Diego and Time Warner CableeIUs Channel 3 on Friday, Oct. 13 at 9 p.m.; Monday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 27 at 9 p.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 9 p.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. The show will replay on NBC7/39 on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 9 p.m., and on ITV Channel 16 on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. and Monday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. Cox CommunicationseIU digital cable customers can also view the show on Free on Demand Channel 1 in November and December.

A chemistry teacher at West Hills High School in Santee, Cheri Gabler has been a teacher for 22 years. Although her father was a college professor, Gabler wasneIUt bitten by the teaching bug until college. While working on her mastereIUs degree in biology, Gabler took a teaching assistant position, in part, to help pay the bills. Her interaction with the students was stimulating and fun, and she discovered her passion for teaching. Gabler, who lives in El Cajon, says, "The essence of my teaching is best characterized not by a single achievement, but in the everyday process itself." She volunteers with the Health Careers Pathway team at West Hills High School and the Grossmont District Health Advisory Board.

As a 34-year teaching veteran, Carlsbad resident Judy Leff believes that teaching is the highest form of service. She teaches language arts and social studies to fourth, fifth and sixth-grade students at Paul Ecke Central School in Encinitas. In the 1970s, her love for the Spanish language and Mexican culture led her to a teaching internship in East Los Angeles at a time when not all children had access to public education. During those early years, Leff, along with other bilingual teachers, fought for the right of all children to have an education that honored their culture and their abilities. This year, Leff collaborated with the director of the San Diego PlaywrighteIUs Project to develop a playwriting curriculum for English language learners in her classroom.

A high school language arts, algebra and social studies teacher at City Heights Community School in San Diego, Pamela MooreheadeIUs students include those who have been released from juvenile detention facilities, expelled from local school districts or referred from a social service agency. The campus environment includes a gang population and a higher ratio of boys than girls, so MooreheadeIUs job as a Juvenile Court and Community School teacher is to foster a safe environment where students can leave their distrust, dysfunctions and issues outside of the classroom. Moorehead enforces a dress code, and as students enter her classroom, they see the poster that reads "Teachers open the door but you must enter yourself."

Moorhead, who lives in San Diego, has been teaching for 26 years and volunteers with various youth programs.

Chula Vista resident Eduardo OchoaeIUs classroom is always open to his eighth-grade students at Marston Middle School in San Diego, where he teaches U.S. history and AVID classes. His students know they will be challenged to become the best individuals they can be and that failure happens only when they quit. OchoaeIUs engaging and enthusiastic teaching style includes role play, mock trials and news reporting activities. In high school, Ochoa was inspired by two teachers who motivated him to pursue a higher education. Ochoa has been teaching for seven years and has volunteered his time to raise money for the 2004 tsunami victims, San Diego Food Bank, and Pasta for Pennies.

Rounding out the 10 finalists were: Deborah Balmat from La Jolla Elementary School (San Diego Unified); Krista deBoer from La Costa Canyon High School (San Dieguito Union High); Marissa Ochoa from Valley Elementary School (Poway Unified); Claudia Tellez from Sweetwater High School (Sweetwater Union High); Celia Walker from Castle Park Middle School (Sweetwater Union High); and Bonnie Welch from Mount Woodson Elementary School (Ramona Unified).