Darla Pulliam, a 27-year veteran of the School District and the Office of Child Development, this morning was named one of five winners of the Los Angeles County Preschool Teacher of the Year award by Los Angeles Universal Preschool.
Winners hail from each of Los Angeles County’s five supervisorial districts. They are judged to have provided to excellent learning environments and classroom experiences for preschool children. For the selection process, Los Angeles Universal Preschool, a 10-year-old nonprofit that funds and rates preschool programs, uses an external committee. It is comprised of county officials and early education experts.
This is the second time Ms. Pulliam has been honored in the eight-year history of the award. She was selected Preschool Teacher of the Year in 2008.
“It is important to me to instill in each child a strong sense of self,” Ms. Pulliam said, “because when you believe in yourself, you approach challenges with confidence.”
Audrey Stephens, director of the Office of Child Development, said that Ms. Pulliam began her career as a substitute teacher.
She later transferred to the preppy kindergarten program for a year.
Since then, Ms. Pulliam has become a mentor teacher and she is the curriculum liaison for the Office of Child Development for all schools.
The Preschool Teacher of the Year is a graduate of Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena, noted for its early childhood development training program.
The other four winners:
- Ana Sosa of the Magnolia Center at the Los Angeles Children’s Bureau: “I have been a child development teacher for nine years,” she said. “I knew that being a teacher is what I wanted to do as a career since I was a child.”
- Dorie L. Meek of Pine Street Preschool in Santa Monica: “I set the bar high for all children,” she said. “I want to ensure that they grab hold, pull up, and peek over the top to view their next dream. Their epiphanies are my greatest accomplishments.”
- Diana Melina Echeverria of Cerritos College Child Development Center: “I eat, live, and breathe what I do daily,” she said. “What gets me through tough times is the sense of accomplishment a child shares when they master something that they have been working towards.”
- Dina G. Pérez of Pasadena Unified School District’s Burbank Early Childhood Center: “Teaching was a natural instinct,” she said. “Working with children has been a rewarding experience, and seeing the results has fueled my passion.”
The five recipients will be recognized in downtown Los Angeles at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, where the County Supervisors meet, with a luncheon and awards ceremony later this month.
