Carey Simoni is proud of the recognition be.tech Charter High School received at the California School Board Association’s annual Education Conference and Trade Show in San Francisco.

It was there at the Moscone West Convention Center that the principal of the Manteca Unified career technical education programs accepted the Golden Bell Award.

“This supports the everyday work and commitment of our staff as they strive to implement the mission of our school,” she said after her be.tech was chosen as one of the 51 recipients of the state’s leading educational honor.

The mission of the free charter schools – included are the four pathways of the academies consisting of be.first, be.cuisine, be.industrial and be.next – is to empower students with skills and knowledge in a highly personalized learn-by-doing environment, according to Simoni.

She picked up the award on behalf of be.tech at last Thursday’s recognition reception and ceremony – CSBA honored be.tech and other outstanding public school programs for innovation, sustainability and best practices, in turn, facilitating positive outcomes in students.

In the case of be.tech, students are provided with job readiness competencies – practical employment experience – taking technical coursework in their career pathway while earning their high school diplomas.

The selection was made by a 17-member judging panel consisting of experts from school districts and county offices of education that reviewed the written entries and made the initial recommendations for the awards.

The Golden Bell recipients exemplified both the spirit of innovation and excellence for which all public school strives, CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon Billy said.

“The Golden Bell Awards reflect the depth and breadth of outstanding education offerings in our state and demonstrates the tenacity, vision and dedication of (our) school leaders,” he added.