Herbert Slater Middle School teacher selected as Sonoma County’s 2023 teacher of the year

The 2023-24 school year continues to present challenges for educators who’ve been slowly readjusting since schools reopened following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Sonoma County, schools struggle to fill teaching positions; violent incidents on campuses disrupt student learning; and classroom infrastructure remains in need of updates.

Still, many teachers have remained positive, finding creative ways to navigate the ever-changing education landscape in the county.

Meaghan King, a special-education teacher at Herbert Slater Middle School, was recognized by Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Amie Carter as an example of the “culture-shifting change,” which led to King’s selection as the Sonoma County Office of Education’s teacher of the year.

King teaches students with disabilities, advocating for inclusion practices on campus while also coaching the Slater track team and advising the leadership class.

She is also a peer mentor for interns working to become special education teachers through the North Coast School of Education.

“Meaghan’s relentless pursuit of inclusivity for her students and the work she is doing as a mentor to her peers … will only further the field of education,” Carter said in a news release announcing King’s award.

King, who was selected from more than 4,000 educators across the county, stressed the importance of inclusion.

“I’m hoping that when I push out into the community of the school that we are making every kid feel included in some way,” King said.

She’s taught at Slater since 2012, moving from mild to moderate special education classes into a primary focus on students with moderate to severe needs.

She has two special education credentials and currently serves as the Santa Rosa City Schools Extensive Support Needs department chair.

Besides teaching and advising different student groups, King has made strides to improve the inclusion practices for her special education students to have access to general education courses, extracurriculars and clubs on campus.

“At times, it has been an uphill climb,” King said. “It’s a lot of trial and error, and teachers who are willing to take that risk and be like ‘OK, I’m not really sure how I’m going to be able to do this, but let’s do it.’”

When one of King’s students shows interest in a general education course, they’re accompanied by support staff and a teaching assistant to that class.

“At the end of the day, it's beneficial not only for just our (special education) students, but our neurotypical students as well to be exposed to people who have differences,” King said.

Inclusion also means special education students are considered when looking at the student body as a whole, King said. She often urges her students to join the leadership club, where they are able to have more of a say on what happens on their campus.

“This year, I was very careful to have my leadership class represent the different types of students we have on campus. So every demographic, every ability is represented in my room,” King said. “If you have the heart to be here … then you belong.”

Katya Robinson, a program manager within the district’s Extensive Support Needs Department said that King’s classroom is where she goes to “recharge and see magic in the works.”

Besides a year as a student teacher at Kawana Springs Elementary School in 2011, King has remained at Slater since being hired, often referring to it as her “home.”

Much of it has to do with her on-campus support system.

“The staff are amazing; they are so passionate and collaborative, often you'll find teachers talking in the hallways about what they are doing and sharing their insights,” King said. “It's just very special.”

The team of educators has helped King remain positive despite recent issues at Slater and Montgomery High School, which are often grouped together because of the funnel of students from Slater directly to Montgomery.

Earlier this month, Slater students sheltered in place while juveniles who were not students entered the middle school and started a fight with a student.

“Right now at Slater, things are pretty rough,” King said. “Every time I feel like we are making strides in building community, a new event happens and we feel like we take 10 strides back … I was ready to come out of the gate swinging and we were going to engage and get everybody (involved).”

“We're just slowly chipping away at what's going on right now.”

Threats of violence are not the only issues Slater faces. Special education teachers have felt the impacts of a national shortage of teachers, instructional assistants and classroom aides.

King works to counter the trend by providing mentorship to interns enrolled in the North Coast School of Education. The interns are actively teaching in special education classrooms across the district, while simultaneously taking classes to earn their credentials.

In 2016, during her fourth year of teaching, administrators urged King to apply to be a teacher at the North Coast education program, despite the application’s recommendation that interested teachers have six years of experience.

She was a bit hesitant at first, referring to herself as a “baby teacher” at the time, but went through with the application because of the support she felt from her school’s administrators.

“They took a risk when they hired me, but I've been teaching with them since,” she said. “I like the idea of teachers teaching teachers and it having this very — ‘I got your back, we're all together,’ (feeling).”

“And to watch these interns, grow and flourish into strong, competent educators, it's really something wonderful.”

Meghan Harrigan, who was a previous extensive support needs teacher at Montgomery, first met King when she applied to be a paraeducator in King’s classroom. In her recommendation letter for King’s nomination, she said that King’s drive was the first thing that stood out to her.

“She has dedicated a majority of her life to helping others while highlighting their strengths and leading the way for others interested in a career of education,” Harrigan said.

As for her future teaching, King said she sees herself staying at Slater “forever.” She’s working on getting her master’s degree in education and obtaining an administrative credential.

“I just really love my job,” King said. “My dream job is that every kid comes to school and wants to be there and that every person that I come in contact with leaves smiling.”