Two Local Teachers Win National Contests

By Bay City News Service

Two Solano County teachers have won national contests and will be collecting their prizes in New York City, according to the California Teachers Association.

Patricia Raina, a kindergarten teacher at a Suisun Valley K-8 school in the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, was one of three winners in a contest sponsored by the television network NBC. Her essay, proposing a reality show about teaching a hectic kindergarten class, will be included in NBC's "Education Nation" events starting Sept. 25.

An NBC crew broke the news to Raina in a surprise visit to her classroom on Tuesday that made the evening news.

"I am very excited and didn't really think I would win," Raina said. "I did it to share with others what teaching is really like."

Saundra Rushford, a first grade teacher at Foxboro Elementary in the Travis Unified School District, didn't even know that her husband and 15-year-old son, Josh, had entered her in a contest sponsored by Jones New York clothing company. Josh's essay described how his mother helped him excel despite his Asperger's syndrome.

"I was very touched when I found out that he submitted his essay about me," Rushford said. "I'm very excited about heading to the Big Apple."

Rushford won a shopping spree at Macy's in New York City and a fashion makeover, as well as $1,000 worth of free school supplies for her classroom and other free resources for her school.