Two educators from Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25, Erin Baeder and Steve Anderson, have been recognized with special honors. Baeder, a teacher at District 25 Head Start program was named the Region 10 Head Start Association  Teacher of the Year and selected to represent the Idaho Head Start Association.

    Anderson, the athletic director for Century High School, has been named Outstanding Athletic Director for Idaho by the Idaho Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Erin Baeder

    “It’s exciting and it’s an honor,” said Erin Baeder, about her selection. “I appreciate being nominated by my co-workers for this.”   

    Baeder was nominated by her fellow teachers in Pocatello to compete for Teacher of the Year within the 13 Head Start programs currently in Idaho.  Then, she also won the same honor at the regional level in Region 10, which encompasses 68 programs in Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Alaska.

    Baeder teaches four and five-year-olds in Pocatello’s Head Start program, working with 17-20 children each year. She has been teaching Head Start in Pocatello for seven years, with a previous ten years of teaching experience in Texas, and has endorsements in English as a Second Language and in teaching gifted and talented children.   

    “Head Start gives children a good foundation for kindergarten,” commented Baeder. She explained that Head Start focuses on eight areas of development for pre-kindergarten children: social and emotional, physical, language, literacy, math, science and technology, the arts, and cognitive development.

    “Head Start involves the whole family,” said Baeder. “It gives parents a chance to have a say and be involved in the education of their children, from kindergarten through high school. We like to say that the parent is the child’s first teacher.”          

    Kaylin White, the Parent and Community Engagement manager of the Head Start program for District 25, said Baeder has the personality of a good teacher.

    “Erin is very compassionate with our children and families,” said White. “She has the gift of being able to motivate families to work with their children and be a part of their education. She is often given children with special needs because she has that gift.”  

    The final results of the Head Start Teacher of the Year Award on the national level are expected to be released by the beginning of November. Baeder will be honored at the Idaho Head Start Association conference in January.

    Head Start is a federal program administered by the local school district. To learn more about District 25’s Head Start program, see their website at  www.pochs.org.   

Steve Anderson    

    Anderson said he knew he was under consideration for the award, but said he felt humbled when he received word he actually won the honor.

    “I think it’s a reflection of the group effort between our students, our parents, and our staff and teachers,” Anderson said. “It’s like a collective award, and I was just lucky enough to receive it.”

     “I am the assistant principal and the athletic director,” Anderson said of his titles. “I oversee all the athletic events and make sure that everything comes off without a hitch.”

    As athletic director, his duties also include working with student athletes, parents, coaches, teachers and staff.  

     Anderson believes that one of the reasons he was chosen for the award is simply because of his constant visibility.

    “I’m at school during the day, and it’s like I have a night job too in supervising the events,” he explained. “I believe in management by being seen. I try to make it to all the events to promote Century Diamondback athletics.”

    Girls’ volleyball coach Pauline Thiros has known Anderson for quite a few years and was once neighbors with him.

    “In my opinion, he’s a good athletic director because he puts the kids first,” she said. “He is always concerned that they have a good experience, while adhering to the rules, and doing what’s best for the students.”

    Thiros, who has coached at Century for the last five years, said that it is very helpful to have an athletic director that is supportive of coaches and allows them to be creative in their programs.

    “He’s willing to go outside the scope of a day’s work to support the teams,” she said. “He comes from a place of ‘Yes,’ when so many administrators have to come from a place of ‘No.’ He always just asks, ‘How can we get it done?’”