EDCOE Team Member Spotlight: Wendy Worster

00:00 AM - September 03, 2020

Interview with Wendy:

Briefly describe your background (where you grew up, family, why you came to work for EDCOE).

I was born in San Francisco, but grew up in Visalia. This is where I met my husband of 29 years. We started our family in Bakersfield, but moved to the small mountain community of Pine Mountain Club to raise our son. This is when I started my “Career” in education. I was part of the founding parent’s group that brought a charter school to our remote location, and like many parents I volunteered. When a part-time clerical position opened up, I applied. As the school grew, its needs grew. My responsibilities and knowledge of the integral workings of a charter school grew as well. In July 2017, my husband’s new job brought us to El Dorado County. As the CFO/CBO I was able to a telecommute and attend monthly board meetings. In November 2018 I said goodbye to my charter family and joined the EDCOE/SELPA Team.

What is your department, title, primary work location, and how long have you worked for EDCOE?

I’ve worked in the SELPA Data team as a program technician for nearly 2 years.

Describe how your role helps support programs/schools/students directly or indirectly.

As a Program Technician I provide direct support for Special Education staff using SEIS/CALPADS to maintain current, correct, complete, and compliant data.

What are you and your team doing to support education in El Dorado County during the COVID-19 facility closures?

COVID has definitely made for unique situations, but has allowed our team to provide more 1:1 training and assistance. ZOOM has been a valuable resource to partner with our LEA/Districts on troubleshooting and training without numerous back and forth emails or scheduling conflicts for limited meeting locations.

What do you most appreciate about your department/team?

What I appreciate most about my team is that they are always supportive, willing to assist, and push you to better yourself.

What is your proudest moment at EDCOE? Why?

One of my proudest moments was when I received a thank you note from a new case manager. It was his first year and my support made the current year easier which had him looking forward to coming back stronger than ever in the next year. This particularly stood out because it validated that what I try to provide for all the LEA/Districts is appreciated and has value.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Living on acreage you don’t have a lot of spare time, but when I do, I like to paint and do paper crafts.

What is something many people may not know about you?

I have a self-professed pulp addiction. One cannot have enough paper.

If you could meet anyone in the world, living or deceased, who would it be and why?

If I could meet anyone in the world it would be Rosalind Russell. She’s made me laugh for years, and laughter IS the best medicine.

From supervisor David Toston, Associate Superintendent, SELPA:

Wendy is a valued teammate at SELPA. Her proactive “get-it-done” attitude and work ethic, especially in the face of change and adversity, sets her apart. Wendy is diligent in helping our partners and her peers understand special education data and compliance issues. Most recently, she worked tirelessly supporting our 14 districts and 400+ charter schools navigate through the complex system and process changes associated with the CASEMIS to CALPADS conversion. Particularly organized, Wendy is an expert multitasker who’s capable and willing to drop work in progress to focus on urgent priorities. We are extremely fortunate to have Wendy as part of the SELPA team.

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