FRESNO BEE

December 7, 2008

Fresno County teacher of year comes from farmworkers

By Anne Dudley Ellis / The Fresno Bee

Fifth-grade teacher Neriada Barba spent her early years moving from town to town as her parents sought work in the fields. She is now an inspiration to children of farmworkers in Kerman.

Barba visits students and their families living in the high-poverty "flats" area of Kerman and, as the school's migrant student specialist, teaches Saturday school to help pupils catch up.

Her efforts have been recognized beyond this farming community in western Fresno County. Barba, 45, was recently named Fresno County's teacher of the year, selected from among 23 nominees for her ability to inspire and motivate her students, said Jennifer Quinn, in charge of the competition for the Fresno County Office of Education.

Her job, Barba said, gives her a chance to change children's lives.

"I tell the kids they're the reason I wake up in the morning," she said. "It's knowing how much they need you. It's an ugly world out there. They need to have the skills and the knowledge. Education is the great equalizer."

Barba's background gives her unusual empathy with and compassion for her students, said Pamela Millspaugh, principal at Liberty Intermediate School, where Barba has taught since 2003.

"Her own personal experience is huge," Millspaugh said.

Barba moved frequently as a child as her parents, who spoke no English, struggled to make a living. Her dad, Homer Mendiola, had traveled by foot from Mexico to find a better life, and her mother, Margie Mendiola, never attended school past the third grade.

But her mom would say to Barba every morning in Spanish as she left for school, "Yo creo en ti mija -- I believe in you, my daughter."

Barba often tells her class, "Yo creo en ti -- I believe in you."

Her father eventually attended Fresno City College and left farm work behind; the family settled in Calwa. Barba said she often thinks about how their family's path was changed because her father furthered his education.

As a teacher, Barba said, she can help shape a student's future: "It's the connections and relationships that make the difference."

She estimates that 80% of her class are the children of farmworkers. Liberty Intermediate as a whole has 658 students, including 171 migrant children. About 220 students still are learning English.

The school, however, scored 817 in September on the Academic Performance Index, the state's measure of academic achievement based on test scores. The index ranges from 200 to 1,000, with 800 the goal.

Liberty, which has an unusual configuration of just fifth- and sixth-graders, had little disparity between English learners and other students on test scores last year, said literacy coach Paula Carvalho: "I think Neriada's a big part of that."

Barba's husband, Tony, is also a fifth-grade teacher at Liberty Intermediate. They have a son in college and a daughter who is a high school freshman.

Barba's colleagues said she excels at making class work relevant for students.

"She connects it to their lives, and it works," Millspaugh said.

For example, when students learned about features that often accompany text, such as maps and photos, Barba explained that these are items they would find useful when reading a travel brochure and planning a vacation.

Her students adore her and work hard in class, her colleagues said. Fifth-graders Alysia Corona and Alexis Acosta are amazed that Barba gave the class her cell phone number and doesn't mind if they call. They said they've phoned her several times for help on homework.

Alexis said Barba is a good teacher because "when we don't get something, she goes over it again."

Parent Micaela Nunez, a farmworker, has known Barba for more than 10 years, when one of her daughters first had her as a teacher at Kerman-Floyd Elementary School. She said Barba always has shown concern for her entire family and is an excellent teacher as well. Nunez said Barba has helped her daughter improve her math skills at Saturday school.

Barba also is known for arriving early to work and leaving late, and for working well with other teachers. Still, Barba said she was surprised to be named teacher of the year.

"There's so many great teachers out there," she said. "I don't see myself as doing anything special."