Teacher gets big surprise at assembly

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

A special assembly yesterday at Santa Barbara Junior High that was billed as an opportunity to hear from State Superintendent of Public Education Jack O’ Connell and former NFL star Rosey Grier turned into a $25,000 surprise for one local teacher.
It was a month-old secret that Santa Barbara School Districts Superintendent Brian Sarvis said was difficult to keep, but was well worth it when Marilyn Garza, who has taught science at the Cota Street school for 13 years, walked down the isle in Marjorie Luke Theater to collect the Milken National Educator Award.

The award, which has been given to about 2,300 teachers over the years, was established to honor the America’s teachers, who according to Lowell Milken, chairman of the Milken Family Foundation, are entrusted with the most important jobs in the world.
“Good teachers really do make a difference,” Milken said. “We need to make the pay equal to the importance of the job.”
Milken said the $25,000 award, which is encouraged to be spent by teachers for personal use, is his organization’s way of giving well deserving teachers a financial bump. Since its inception 21 years ago, the foundation has awarded teachers $58 million.
Garza said told the audience of students, media and local political officials that “this is probably my first and only school I’ll ever teach at, so thank you very much.”
“It’s in my blood,” Garza said of teaching. “I teach because I love doing it. It’s actually a passion, not just a job.
“I hope more people realize and recognize teachers, even if it’s just a kind word at the end of the day.”
Milken said the foundation seeks out teachers and the award cannot be applied for.
Garza’s list of accomplishments at the school is long. She is currently the Science Department Chair and helped create Let’s Explore Applied Physical Science, which brings graduate level physics, engineering, biology and chemistry fellows from UC Santa Barbara into her classroom.
Garza is also an advisor for the afterschool Quantum LEAPS Science Club. She created the eighth grade science fair and exhibit, and due to concerns that non-English speaking parents weren’t attending the science fair, created Family Ultimate Science Exploration, a bilingual family science night. She also organizes Astronight, during which members of the local group Astronomical Unit give a slide show presentation and set up telescopes for students and family use.
Students who take Garza’s class have the highest exit test scores in the school and are among the highest in the district, according to a statement issued by the school district.
That being said, perhaps her harshest critics agree with the Milken Foundation that Garza is well deserving of the award.
“It’s pretty cool,” said Matthew Oatis, an eighth grade student in Garza’s fourth period class. “She totally deserves it.”
Garza said she doesn’t know what she’ll use the money for, but is sure it will involve her family.
While the main goal of the assembly was to honor Garza, it was also to let students know that becoming a teacher is one of the most important professions a person could have.
Milken noted that society constantly pours respect on celebrities and athletes, but rarely on school principals and teachers.
“I’ve come here to today because I believe that teachers and principals have the most important job in our country,” he said.
Assemblyman Pedro Nava, who attended the event, agreed.
“It’s shameful the amount of attention we pay to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton when we’ve got such excellent people making a difference in people’s lives day in and day out," Nava said. "It’s the teachers that should be the celebrities.”
Sarvis said there are many great teachers in the district and called Garza one of the best. He also credited the foundation and its message that teachers make positive impacts that are rarely the focus of acclaim.
“That really is the push,” Sarvis said. “They promote the value of teachers for our society and it’s a message we all need to pay attention to.
“These are critical people in our society.”