School district names top educator, employee
 Diane Tomko ~ Teacher of the Year |
 Diane Tomko and her son, Christopher |
Tomko, Birdsall top crowded field of dedicated
professionals
By JOSH SWEIGART
PALM COAST - “I think teaching exists somewhere between believing
and achieving – it’s seeing potential in nurturing talent. It’s
teaching self discipline and seeing to the future. It’s all those
what-ifs, partnered with care, compassion and guidance.”
That’s the attitude that makes Diane
Tomko the Flagler County School District’s teacher of the year.
Tomko, who teaches gifted education at
Flagler Palm Coast High School, was crowned with the title of Flagler’s
top educator at an awards celebration Thursday night. Dione Birdsall,
receptionist at Buddy Taylor Middle School, is the district’s
non-instructional employee of the year.
But at the event, all of
the county’s 11 nominees for teacher of the year – one from each
school, plus adult education – and 18 nominees for employee of the year
were celebrated by their peers.
“You truly are all winners,” said
former Flagler County School Boardmember Eddie Herrera, who emceed the
event at the Flagler Auditorium.
The ceremony featured a video of each nominee talking why they do
what they do.
“ I think there’s nothing more incredible as a teacher than to be able
to stand in the background and cleverly coax students into thinking for
themselves and opening their minds,” said Tomko.
“You know anything
is possible in the classroom. And we as teachers help our students
cross that bridge from the haze of confusion into that light of
knowing. And to see that in their faces it’s…it’s breathtaking.”
The 29 finalists were chosen by their co-workers from the county’s
pool of about 800 teachers and 1,000 other employees.
Each received a check for $850, and Tomko is now a candidate for
teacher of the year statewide, to be announced this summer.
But Tomko doesn’t do it for the money or recognition.
In fact, it’s hard to pry a self-congratulation out of the 28-year
teaching veteran.
“I’m very humbled, very surprised and
very happy because we have so many great teachers,” was as close
as she could get.
But talking to her co-workers, and very proud son, it became apparent
that Tomko has helped form the school district’s gifted education
program since coming to Flagler in 1988.
In addition to teaching gifted classes and helping coordinate the International Baccalaureate program, Tomko has led the school district’s International Problem Solving Team, a high school team that competes against other teams worldwide in tackling global issues, since 1993 – and won an international title every year.
And while thinking globally, the team has acted locally. They established a café in the Flagler-Palm Coast High School media center to encourage reading, and usage tripled. They promoted a breast cancer awareness year.
Most recently, the team received approval to build a gym at the
proposed Bunnell Elementary School to combat childhood obesity.
“That’s why teaching is an incredible profession,” her video
presentation concluded. “We have the ability to add to humanity,
multiply strengths in our students, encourage dreams, while always
knowing the reason it’s incredible is because of our children, our
students.
Birdsall, the employee of the year – or Ms. B as everyone at Buddy
Taylor knows her – also finds higher purpose in her job.
“I try to make each person’s day a little better and a little brighter,” she said.
Birdsall is particularly proud of her work coordinating the middle
school’s student leadership team.
This team takes one student leader from each homeroom and helps them
coordinate school-wide change.
Her team’s recent initiatives include helping enforce dress codes at
school dances, promoting recycling and making sure school-wide
announcements are correct.
Bust most people know Birdsall as the voice of Buddy Taylor. She
answers the phones.
“You’ll know me when you hear, “Hello, Buddy Taylor Middle School, home
of the Eagles, how may I help you?’”
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ALSO................
At the International FPS Competition in
Flagler Palm Coast Coach and FLFPSP Board Member
Diane Tomko
was awarded the prestigious Keith Frampton award
for coaches who truly go above and beyond!
Diane’s nomination listed a few of the many FPS things she does such as:
The training of coaches and evaluators.
Organization of her
district’s 40+ teams for the
district competition
and
Presentation of Action Plans.
The instruction of
gifted teachers in the CPS
process and
the FPS program in the endorsement course that she teaches.
Coaching of
numerous teams at Flagler Palm coast.
We know of at least one FPS
coach who is
doing so because of Diane’s influence
on her when she was a student and FPS
participant.
This award is
named for the man who began the first
Australia/New Zealand FPS program in
1988.