Judy Paolini, Mike Davey, Honored at Prestigious Teacher Awards Night

Teachers Judy Paolini and Mike Davey were honored at the Campbell Heritage Theater Thursday night by the Santa Clara County Office of Education.

The two were among the 31 honored at the 43rd annual Teacher Recognition Day, a locally prestigious.

Paolini, who has worked in special education for most of her 30 years as a teacher, has been teaching a special day class at Foothill Elementary School for the past three years. Davey teaches world history, economics and American government at Saratoga High School, and coaches the varsity girls basketball team.

Paolini was a resource specialist for the Saratoga Union School District for eight years and worked with developmentally disabled and autistic children when she came first to California. She is a mother of two adult children, who grew up in Saratoga and attended Argonaut School, Redwood Middle School and then Saratoga High School. 

According to the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District, colleagues describe Davey as "a model educator," "passionate and creative" and known for his commitment to students and Saratoga High.

Davey has been working to develop innovative programs since coming to
Saratoga, beginning with “Life,” an integrated program he collaborated on with fellow educator Kerry Mohnike.

He then initiated the grant process that provided the funding for the school's Media Arts Program.

In addition, Davey has offered a junior achievement class, allowing students an experience outside the normal college prep curriculum.

The two were feted at the gala event with 28 other teachers from nearly every grade level, from Palo Alto in the north county down to Gilroy in the south county. School districts selected their honorees based on each teacher's dedication to students, classroom skill and commitment to life-long learning. 

The annual Teacher Recognition Celebration is co-sponsored by Texas Instruments and the Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union, with support from the San Jose Mercury News. The Sixth District PTA and Santa Clara County School Boards Association provide additional support.