League awards Ingrid Forbes Educator of Year finalist honors
By Pixie Sulser
Ingrid Forbes, eighth-grade English teacher at Olive Peirce Middle School, was honored as one of the Top 10 finalists for the California League of Middle Schools Region 9 Educator of the Year award during an award dinner at the Admiral Baker Golf Resort in Mission Valley this month.
“Considering the number of middle school teachers in the Region 9 area, being a Top 10 finalist is huge!” said OPMS Principal Linda Solis.
The middle schools in the state of California are organized into 11 regions with Region 9 encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties. Each school in the region is invited to nominate a teacher who embodies what teaching middle school is all about. From the pool of nominees, the region’s finalists are chosen.
Solis describes Forbes as the kind of middle school teacher who “is the fuel that ignites the energy needed to run a great middle school for adolescent learners. Ingrid Forbes loves being ‘caught in the middle,’ and our students love her.”
Forbes joined the OPMS staff after 17 years as an elementary teacher at Mount Woodson Elementary. Moving to the middle school brought new challenges and possibilities that Forbes seems to have embraced with open arms.
She is part of a collaborative leadership team presenting to other teachers ways to engage students in goal setting and using the state standards as a learning tool.
Forbes is adviser to the OPMS National Junior Honor Society, “which she has taken to new heights of effectiveness,” said Solis. “With NJHS, she has led our College and Career Readiness vision, which has rebooted our culture. College flags can be seen flying outside of every classroom and office on our campus…a visible legacy.”
Solis further praised Forbes’ dedication to student achievement, professionalism, expertise and commitment to middle level education. She went on to describe Forbes as the perfect combination of Steve Martin’s “wild and crazy guy” and a “Mother Goose.”
That description seemed appropriate once the student comments Solis solicited for the nomination paperwork were shared. Students describe Forbes as “an amazing, wonderful, smart and caring teacher who worries for her students.” Another student shared, “Mrs. Forbes has a great sense of humor which makes our learning and her teaching thrilling and fun!”
“I was very honored by the nomination,” said Forbes. “As I listened to the other nominee’s speeches that evening, I was reminded of the reasons I continue to love my career, love my students and love this town I am blessed to live and work in.”