Laguna Beach High School science teachers Art...

Laguna Beach High School science teachers Art Smart and Steve Sogo

won this year’s “Bravo to the Teachers” awards, issued and funded

annually by Laguna Beach resident Natalie Zucker.

Zucker, a retired clinical psychologist, presented checks for $600

to each teacher at a lunch honoring the winners June 5. This is the

third year Zucker has awarded two Laguna Beach High School teachers

along with 14 straight years giving the same awards in Pico Rivera.

“Teachers are underpaid, underappreciated and so valuable to a

community,” Zucker said. “They need to be recognized more often for

their outstanding work.”

Past winners have used the funds to buy diapers, a surfboard and a

plane ticket to Paris, Zucker said.

“I don’t care what they buy with that money,” Zucker said. “It’s

theirs, not mine.”

As a 48-year resident of Pico Rivera, Zucker participates in the

selection process at El Rancho high school, but leaves the awards up

to the teachers in Laguna Beach.

“They know better than I do who deserves to win,” Zucker said, “so

I give ballots to all the teachers and they vote for the winners.”

Funding for the awards is set up at Zucker’s bank to go on “in

perpetuity,” she said.

Teachers in Pico Rivera get excited when Zucker comes around, she

said, because they know what she has to offer every year. She expects

the same to happen in Laguna Beach as the high school teachers get

more used to her.

“It’s a wonderful thing for morale,” Zucker said. “Everybody likes

being appreciated, especially when you get a little money.”

-- Mike Swanson