LAMORINDA WEEKLY | OIS Teacher named OUSD's Teacher of the Year


From left: Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Karen Sakata and Orinda Union School District's Teacher of the Year Susan Boudreau. Photo Terry Koehne, CCCOE

On April 18, Contra Costa County Office of Education Superintendent of Schools Karen Sakata visited the classroom of Susan Boudreau, at Orinda Intermediate School. Boudreau, a 33-year instructor, was recently named Orinda Union School District's Teacher of the Year. Boudreau has been teaching science at the Orinda school for the past 25 years. Prior to her current position, she had taught biology and science in the West Contra Costa County Unified School District, at U.C. Berkeley, and at the Queen Elizabeth School (grades 6-12), in Devon, UK.

"The accomplishment of which I am most proud is making science more accessible to girls and to all students who are not part of the traditional white-coat scientist mold," says Boudreau, whose father is a particle physicist. "This compelling world of physics is incredibly male-dominated - from middle school onward, and outward to engineering, too. The under-enrollment of girls is a huge waste of talent for society and for their own lives and careers, with physics being a gateway to so much beyond STEM. I want to model and convey the message that science is a fascinating, powerful and relevant endeavor in which ALL are invited to take a part."

On the evening of September 28, the 22 Contra Costa County TOYs, class of 2017-18, including Boudreau, will be introduced and honored at the annual Teacher of the Year Dinner Celebration, held at the Concord Hilton. The 22 TOYs will be accompanied by their families, friends, and co-workers. The expected crowd of close to 500 will also include numerous other supporters of the program.