Source: The Uken Report
SACRAMENTO — One of the Coachella Valley’s most beloved — and honored — educators has been recognized, again. On Monday, teacher and nationally acclaimed education champion, Chauncey Veatch was recognized at the 2018 Latino Spirit Awards.
He was presented with the inaugural “Friend of the Latino Community” award. Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, put in a request for the creation of this special award category to honor Veatch’s extensive accomplishments and lifelong service.
Veatch is a U.S. Army veteran, school teacher, and Latino community champion. Inspired by Cesar Chavez, in 1968 Veatch worked as a United Farm Workers volunteer registering voters. After duty in the U.S. Army, Veatch sought to continue his service by entering the teaching profession.
Veatch gravitated to Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) because of the large migrant farmworker community. He asked for classes filled with non-English speakers, students with special needs, pregnant teens, as well as students involved with gangs or drugs.
“Where most would see an underserved area with a challenging educational environment and troubled, hard to reach students, Chauncey Veatch saw gifts, talent, as well as a beautiful, vibrant culture and values system,” Garcia said in a prepared statement. “Chauncey truly believed in his students and their ability to achieve without limitation. He encouraged them to dream, aspire higher and set both educational and career goals.
“I am fully convinced that the positive trajectory the Eastern Coachella Valley has seen over the past few decades is due in part to Mr. Veatch’s remarkable method of leadership development that has taken root over generations of students.”
