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Peter Chodzko, a seventh grade teacher at Gompers Charter Middle School, was honored statewide as “Charter School Teacher of the Year,” an award from the California Charter School Association.
That doesn’t come as a big surprise to Gompers staff and families, who selected Chodzko as their school’s Teacher of the Year last year. This is Chodzko’s third year teaching at Gompers, where he created a student government club and a new event, History Night, where students act out historical roles in costume.
In a press release issued by the California Charter School Associated, Chodzko cites the school’s freedom to hire its own teachers as the key to its success. In district-run schools, teachers are assigned to schools:
“Gompers Charter has made such an amazing transformation,” Chodzko added. “The ability to hire teachers that are committed to excellence has allowed us to create an environment of collaboration and professionalism that has taken our school from one of chaos, to a school that exemplifies a college preparatory culture.”