Fontana Unified Teacher Named Teacher of Distinction for College, Career Readiness Efforts

FONTANA, CA – Summit High School honors English teacher Dina Bartholomew has been named a 2019 Teacher of Distinction by College Board for her effective and innovative use of its SpringBoard instructional program to create lesson plans that prepare students for college and careers.

Bartholomew, who has worked for Fontana Unified for more than 20 years, structures her curriculum around three basic principles: compassion and empathy, competence and critical thinking.

“Our high school students are learning content and skills now that, 25 years ago, people weren’t learning until college, and it is my responsibility to push them even further to develop their critical thinking skills,” Bartholomew said. “SpringBoard is a great program that helps me to do that. This generation will be the future leaders of our country, so it is important to me to teach them the life skills they will need to succeed.”

SpringBoard offers core instructional materials in print and digital formats for grades six through 12 that are fully aligned to Common Core state standards, Advanced Placement (AP) coursework and the SAT Suite of Assessments, as well as lesson plans in English language arts and mathematics.

Bartholomew said the SpringBoard textbook develops close reading skills, supports academic language proficiency and builds a mastery of writing that also teaches students to develop empathy through a comprehensive reading list of both classic and modern literature.

Bartholomew is the first teacher in California to receive the recognition from College Board. She will serve as a member of the SpringBoard teacher advisory council, through which she will review new materials and participate in pilot opportunities. She will be recognized for her achievement during a FUSD Board of Education meeting in August.

“Mrs. Bartholomew’s achievements exemplify the excellence of our Fontana Unified educators, who go above and beyond for our students,” Fontana Unified Superintendent Randal S. Bassett said. “Congratulations to Mrs. Bartholomew and Summit High School on this well-deserved recognition.”

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FUSD_SPRINGBOARD: Summit High School teacher Dina Bartholomew was named a SpringBoard 2019 Teacher of Distinction by College Board, recognizing her efforts to promote college and career readiness.