Oxnard Educator Is Teacher of Year

A history and geography teacher at Oxnard High School was selected Monday as Ventura County’s Teacher of the Year.

Robert Borneman was surprised in his classroom Monday afternoon when he was presented with a plaque singling him out among the county’s 6,000 teachers. He will represent Ventura County in this year’s California State Teacher of the Year competition.

“I deserve it,” Borneman joked. “I really, really worked hard this year.

“I’m really gratified that my peers recognized my contributions. That makes me feel good and encourages me to keep it up.”

Borneman, a native of Ventura, credited Rachel Gutierrez, his first-grade teacher at Montalvo Elementary School, with influencing him to become an educator. He has taught school for 10 years, the last four at Oxnard High.

Borneman teaches world civilization, geography and English as a second language. He also coaches the Academic Decathlon team.

“You name it, he’s involved in it,” said Bill Studt, Oxnard Union High School District superintendent.

Borneman was selected as the Oxnard district’s teacher of the year as well, Studt said.

“There are lots of qualified teachers in our district, but he’s a star. He really does neat things with young people,” Studt said.

Oxnard High Principal Daisy Tatum called Borneman innovative and said he makes his subjects come alive.

Each of the county’s school districts is invited to nominate a teacher for the countywide award. The county superintendent’s office makes the final selection, which is forwarded to Sacramento for the statewide competition. California’s Teacher of the Year will be entered in the national competition.

Diane Dempwolf, Ventura County director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, said seven teachers were nominated for the 1998-99 award.

After being nominated, each teacher completed an application--including writing essays and submitting at least three letters of support--judged by a committee of educators.

“It needs to be a teacher who is really highly respected by a number of people,” Dempwolf said.

The essays focused on each applicant’s individual teaching philosophy as well as educational issues of local, state and national importance.

“He seemed concerned about all children,” Dempwolf said of Borneman. “He seemed very knowledgeable, very energetic. We thought he had a very focused philosophy of education.”

Borneman’s teaching philosophy focuses on love--teaching a subject he loves to students he loves because he loves teaching.

“His personal philosophy of education exemplifies the magnetic attraction of teaching,” said Ventura County Supt. of Schools Charles Weis. “The common bond among educators is our love of young people and love of learning.”

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Times photographer Spencer Weiner contributed to this story.