Local Alumna at Top of the Class with State Honors

Amy Brophy Laughlin, a teacher at Hansen School in the Savanna School District in Anaheim, was one of five outstanding educators named the 2015 California Teachers of the Year. Laughlin, who in 2001 earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Cal State San Bernardino, was recognized as one of the state’s top teachers by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. "It is an honor to recognize these five incredibly dedicated teachers who devote their energy, passion, and creativity to helping all their students achieve inside and outside the classroom," Torlakson said. "These teachers have made a huge difference in their students' lives." The California Teachers of the Year Program, presented by California Casualty, began in 1972 to acknowledge the growing complexity of challenges faced by the profession and the need to promote collaboration among teachers to address challenges. The program is also designed to encourage new teachers to enter the field. “We’re proud and pleased that one of our own, Amy Laughlin, received this very prestigious honor in recognition of her dedication and determination to serve her students,” said Jay Fiene, dean of the CSUSB College of Education. “It is also recognition of the great work being done by the college faculty through deep partnerships with area districts in preparing teachers for the classroom. We will have the chance to publicly recognize Ms. Laughlin at our spring Commencement.” “The program provided me a hands-on experience that truly deepened my passion for teaching,” Laughlin said. “Because of this program and the cohort I worked so closely with, I created new programs at my school site, helping me stand out as an exemplar teacher.” Laughlin has been teaching for 16 years, 13 of them at Hansen School, the last six as a Title I Intervention Specialist there. Her class, called Husky Time, is an intensive reading intervention program she created for struggling students in all grade levels. Traditional education does not always work for her students; Laughlin said she must offer something different. She nurtures confidence and instills a sense of pride and self-worth into children who may have felt alone and unworthy. She calls herself their biggest cheerleader, "and they are my heroes." It is her job, she emphasized, to ensure every child succeeds, "whether it is the child who has fallen so far behind that the teacher is at a loss on how to help, or the child who may be academically proficient yet inwardly battles social and emotional conflict," Laughlin said. Hansen school officials praised Laughlin for her dedication to her students. "Simply put, Amy Laughlin is the most amazing educator I have ever had the pleasure of working with,” wrote Shannon D. Wyatt, principal of Hansen School. “Amy's greatest strength is her ability to motivate and build relationships with students." Savanna School District Superintendent Sue Johnson called Laughlin a "dynamic educator who has a desire to enhance teaching and learning with a heart for and dedication to the children she serves." Laughlin was named among four others for the 2015 California Teachers of the Year honor, including Maggie Mabery, a 7th and 8th grade science teacher at Manhattan Beach Middle School in Los Angeles County; Lovelyn Marquez-Pruher, an 8th grade English teacher at Dodson Middle School in Los Angeles County; Christopher O'Connor, a 9th through 12th grade science teacher at St. Helena High School in Napa County; and Erin Rosselli, a kindergarten teacher at Panorama Elementary School in Orange County.