Sweetwater Districts very own Sesha Haynes from Sweetwater High is one of five local educators to be named San Diego County Teacher of the Year during the 28th annual “Cox Presents: A Salute to Teachers.”
The annual Academy Awards-style show was sponsored by San Diego County Credit Union (SDCCU) in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) and telecast live by Cox Communications from the Balboa Theatre. Haynes was one of San Diego County’s 22,000 public school teachers celebrated, with a spotlight on 41 Teacher of the Year nominees representing districts in San Diego County and Bonita Vista High School’s Music Machine opened the show with a spectacular performance.
Sesha has been teaching in the Sweetwater District for the past 10 years, working at Sweetwater High for the past eight. Equally adept at teaching math in a mixed-grade classroom or teaching fundamentals in a special day class for students with disabilities, Haynes’ priority is providing a safe place where students feel at ease practicing and questioning. “My goal each day is make my students know that I care, believe and will do whatever it takes to help them be successful,” said Haynes. “
Haynes is immersed in the school community, serving as a club adviser and coach, all the while making sure students feel connected. After hearing from students of color who were feeling disconnected, Haynes started a Black Student Union, which has grown to a multiracial group that finds strength in differences and similarities. She connects student-athletes to students with disabilities through the Unified Devil Buddies club. “Ms. Haynes is an exceptional educator and human being who truly cares about children’s academic, social, and emotional growth,” Principal Maribel Gavin said.
The finalists were selected based on student achievement, professional development and community involvement, teaching philosophy, knowledge of current issues in education, promotion and development of the teaching profession, accountability, and ability to serve as ambassadors of education.
The five Teachers of the Year will represent San Diego County in the California Teacher of the Year program. The state winners will be announced later this fall.
Replays of “Cox Presents: A Salute to Teachers” will be televised by Cox and Spectrum on YurView Channel 4/1004 Sept. 16 at 4 p.m.; and at 7 p.m. on Sept. 21, Sept. 28, Oct. 5, and Oct. 12. KUSI will re-air the show in November. For a complete listing of replay dates and times, go to yurview.com.