Litten named Teacher of the Year
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers STAR TEACHER- Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Charles Weis holds the Teacher of the Year plaque awarded to Oak Park High School biology teacher Winnie Litten. A family emergency kept Litten from the awards ceremony.

For the first time, an Oak Park teacher has been chosen Ventura County Teacher of the Year.

Oak Park High School biology teacher Winnie Litten, 40, was honored on Tue., June 5 by a team of Oak Park and county educators and administrators, including Charles Weis, county superintendent of schools.

Although Litten could not be there- she was in Paso Robles with her ailing mother- she was presented with the award by teleconference. Afterwards, the recognition was announced to Litten's first period honors biology class. Students applauded and offered their views of Litten.

"She really cares about everyone," Julia Robinson said. "She does everything she can to help us."

"She always has time for everyone and it's nice to have that personal attention," Quinton Steele said.

"She relates what we're learning about to our life and the world around us," Morgan Townley said.

"She treats us as if we're equal to her. She never says we're too immature to understand," Gretchen Waldron said.

"She makes learning enjoyable," Ryan Darling said.

Litten was chosen by a selection committee made of county principals, teachers and administrators. Each of the county's 21 districts submitted nominations.

"The applications are read blindly- we remove the names. The committee uses a point system," said John Tarkany, a coordinator with the Ventura County Office of Education. .

Litten will go on to the state teacher of the year competition, representing the 6,600 teachers from the 208 schools in Ventura County. The winners will be announced by the state superintendent of education in November.

Litten will be honored on June 12 at a pre-game ceremony at Dodgers Stadium.

"We are very excited to have a teacher from Oak Park recognized," said Marie Panec, president of the Oak Park Unified School District Board of Education. "Winnie epitomizes the best of all the fabulous teachers here."

A popular educator at Oak Park since 1991, Litten teaches college prep biology, honors biology and advanced placement biology. She is known among students for being caring, having high expectations and for calling parents from the classroom to offer congratulations when a particular goal has been reached. Over the past five years about 90 percent of her students pass the AP exam, with the majority earning the top score of a five. She tries to show students how to apply biology to their everyday lives.

"I try to teach them study habits, skills and coping mechanisms that will last way beyond my classroom," Litten wrote in her application. "I want them to demand the best from themselves, not for me or their parents, but because that is what they want for themselves. As soon as they internalize their own desire for success, they will have the motivation to do their best."

Litten graduated with a science degree from Westmont College in Santa Barbara. She and her husband, Dean, and two sons, Jacob and Caleb, live in Camarillo.

"Winnie represents the best of what every teacher aspires to become and all that every student dreams of having in a great teacher," McCormack said.

This is the first time since the state established the awards program in 1971 that an Oak Park teacher has been chosen to represent Ventura County.