Thousand Oaks, CA – Compass Charter Schools announced today that Leslie Sharma, Special Education Coordinator, and Nora Barnhart, Attendance Coordinator, have been selected as our 2019-20 Employees of the Year.
Each school year, CCS honors our staff with the Employee of the Year award. All CCS staff are encouraged to nominate fellow employees they feel are high-achieving, have a strong work ethic, and excellent leadership skills. The previous years’ honorees review all of the nominations and select the new Employees of the Year.
Leslie Sharma, Special Education Coordinator – Certificated Employee of the Year
Sharma is a critical member of the Compass family, as part of the leadership of our Special Education Department. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, and Level I Education Specialist Instruction Credential from California State University Fresno. She also completed a Level II Education Specialist Instruction Credential, Autistic Spectrum Disorder Authorization, and Early Childhood Special Education Authorization from National University. Sharma has worked as a Resource Specialist Program Teacher and Preschool Early Learning Inclusion Teacher at various Fresno-area elementary schools.
“I thrive to be a dedicated child advocate and focus on the individual needs of special education scholars,” shares Sharma. “I am passionate, empathetic, flexible, and accommodating with my scholars; working to present lessons that implement Individualized Educational Program (IEP’s) to enhance scholar achievement. My goal is to help our special needs scholars thrive and develop at CCS.”
Nora Barnhart, Attendance Coordinator – Classified Employee of the Year
Barnhart has been an integral part of the Compass family for over seven years. She studied geology at Utah State University, receiving a Bachelor’s in Science. She graduated Cum Laude and as a Graduating Senior Outstanding Citizen. Barnhart has worked as an Assistant Manager in Hospitality, Assistant Account in Finance, Logistics Coordinator at Quantum Learning Network, and an Attendance Coordinator at CCS since 2013. She enjoys spending time with family, playing video games, and reading science fiction and fantasy novels.
“I love working for CCS! My co-workers are amazing and teamwork really does make the dream work! I love the transparency and compliance with laws and regulations that our school has and I will continue to do my best for this school. Thank you, CCS,” shares Barnhart.
“Congratulations to Leslie and Nora for receiving this honor. Your excellence in leadership and support is reflected in the achievements of your teams,” shared J.J. Lewis, Superintendent, and CEO. “Please join us in celebrating our 2019-20 Employees of the Year, and thanking both Leslie and Nora for all that they do to support our scholars, learning coaches, and staff to ensure the Compass Experience fulfills the mission, vision, and values of Compass!”
The Employee of the Year Program started in the 2015-16 school year. Previous honorees are:
2019-20:
Certificated Employee of the Year: Kristy Smith
Classified Employee of the Year: Jessica Franco
2017-18:
Certificated Employee of the Year: Kelli McCaulley
Classified Employee of the Year: Vanessa Plascencia
2016-17:
Certificated Employee of the Year: Kasey Bentley
Classified Employee of the Year: David Brasch
2015-16:
Certificated Employee of the Year: Karle Roberts
Classified Employee of the Year: Karla Gonzalez & Sophia Trivino
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About Compass Charter Schools
Compass Charter Schools (CCS) is a WASC-accredited virtual personalized learning public charter school serving thousands of scholars throughout the state. Catering to TK-12 grade scholars, CCS offers two personalized learning programs. CCS is committed to creating a collaborative virtual learning community, inspiring scholars to appreciate the ways in which arts and sciences nurture a curiosity for lifelong learning and preparing scholars to take responsibility for their future successes.
For more information about CCS, visit www.compasscharters.org, via Twitter (https://twitter.com/CompassCs), on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CompassCS/) or on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/compasscs/).