3 Area Teachers to Compete in Contest

Three Glendale and San Fernando Valley educators are among 12 teachers named to represent Los Angeles County in the 1994 California Teachers of the Year contest.

“We’re the training ground for the future,” said Marilyn Clara Wirth-Scaife, who lives in West Hills and teaches art and film appreciation at Indian Hills High School in Calabasas. “We have such an impact. My message is to make that impact positive.”

The 12 nominees will be among a group of other statewide county candidates who will be evaluated by a state committee. That panel will name five state finalists Oct. 22. Out of that pool, one will be chosen to represent California in the national contest.

In their applications, all three teachers emphasized the importance of encouraging and challenging students to succeed and always giving them positive feedback.

“I wanted to live up to Glendale’s reputation,” said Sidnie Myrick, who teaches fifth and sixth grade at Edison Elementary in Glendale. Myrick is the Glendale Unified School District’s seventh educator since 1983 to represent the county at the state level.

“It’s very satisfying to see that at least in one arena there are people who accept my views (about education) or at least sympathize with them,” said the 30-year-old Sunland native.

Virginia Eileen Gregor, who lives in Chatsworth and teaches eighth-grade science at Placerita Junior High School in Newhall, said she didn’t know about her nomination until a reporter called to ask her about it.

“I think it’s unbelievable,” the 15-year veteran said. “I see the teacher of the year being quite a contributor at school.”

The other Los Angeles County nominees include: Beth Cassford of the Little Lake City School District; Patricia N. Hodges of the Whittier Union High School District; Louis Anthony Sergio of the West Covina Unified School District; Rosemary Ann Adam of the Claremont Unified School District; Greg Morrison of the Glendora Unified School District; Vivian L. Spiglanin of the Redondo Beach Unified School District; Kari Farr Braun of the Walnut Valley Unified School District; Sylvia Kerschner of the county education office’s alternative education division, and Priscilla M. Tedesco of the Arcadia Unified School District.