Becca Kaldunski Honored with an EDCOE Excellence in Education Award

00:00 AM - May 25, 2021

At the El Dorado County Office of Education’s (EDCOE) annual Team Member Recognition event via Zoom, Becca Kaldunski received an Excellence in Education Award for her steadfast commitment and contributions throughout her career at EDCOE. After receiving her award, Becca expressed, “I am truly honored to be a part of amazing and hard-working teams here at EDCOE. I am humbled and inspired each and every day. Together, we truly can make a difference, no matter what challenges are set before us.”

Dr. Ed Manansala, El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools, presented the award and noted, “Becca embodies the essence of the Excellence in Education Award and is unmatched with her fierce passion for supporting all students.”

Becca has dedicated her career to working with students who have the most significant special needs. She became a Special Education Teacher and Instructional Specialist for the Santa Rosa High School District. She then served as an Educational Specialist and Assistant Principal for the El Dorado Union High School District. She is currently the Director for Special Services for EDCOE, and she cares deeply about each student and team member’s success.

When she served as the Principal overseeing programs for students with emotional disturbances, she took time to analyze the strengths and needs of these programs and determine how to build upon them for improvement. After studying, observing and working with staff, she introduced changes that included articulated behavior systems, curricula, and ongoing collaboration through professional learning communities. The framework she designed, set in place, and implemented established these programs as models that other counties seek to visit and replicate. She was integral to the development of the Differentiated Assistance process in El Dorado County as a valued team member of the Differentiated Assistance support team for EDCOE.

At the beginning of the pandemic, she worked tirelessly with her team to quickly create a Guidelines for Distance Learning for classroom teachers who serve students with moderate to severe disabilities, as well as itinerant teachers and related service providers. This handbook was not only disseminated across our county for school districts to customize and use the template, but was disseminated across the state through the Special Education County Office Administrators Committees, as this template was of exceptional quality and the most comprehensive at the beginning of the pandemic.

Tamara Clay, Executive Director of Special Services expressed, “As a leader, Becca stands out due to her uncompromising focus on developing quality programs for our students. She is diligent, compassionate, creative, and solutions-oriented. She serves as a model team member by prioritizing relationships while still striving for excellence. I feel fortunate to work with such an exceptional educator.”

When she is not working, she enjoys spending quality time with her husband and two children. The family is also well known in the community for their passion for performing arts and servant leadership.

Congratulations Becca!

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