Sue Waterbury
San Luis Obispo High School – ROP Instructor
Careers with Children, Teaching Careers

After earning her Bachelor’s of Science degree and standard secondary credential at Cal Poly in Home Economics, teaching preschool, and serving as a parent cooperative president, Sue Waterbury started teaching Careers with Children at SLOHS in 1980. The Tiny Tiger Preschool is run by the high school students that take the Careers with Children ROP class. Few know the name Careers with Children…..many know the name Tiny Tiger Preschool or “Tiny Tigers”. The program opened in 1980 under Sue’s direction and has continued strong ever since. In 1990 she initiated and successfully completed the process of licensing the preschool with the Department of Social Services. Tiny Tiger Preschool serves 48 preschoolers from the community and is the only licensed on-campus high school program. Sue has provided a workshop at a statewide conference to teach others how to license their programs. Careers With Children is an articulated course with Cuesta College. This year 39 high school students were eligible to receive 3 semester units of credit with Cuesta. Students from the Careers With Children Program have gone on to become elementary and secondary teachers, preschool directors, firefighters, physical education specialists, pediatric nurses, family day care providers, health educators and counselors…..to name just a few.

There is nobody more dedicated to education than Sue Waterbury. She has served the profession in many capacities including:

• Home Economics Department Chair
• WASC Applied Arts/Career Technical Education area chair
• Group facilitator for Student Assistance Program
• Management Team Member
• BTSA mentor
• Member of the Cuesta College Early Childhood Education Advisory Committee
• Chairperson for FHA-HERO Child Development competitions – Home Economics student leadership organization
• Writer for curriculum, grants, and certification titles

Sue is dedicated to the education of all children and one way she demonstrates this is through integrating preschoolers and high schoolers with special needs. This year alone her program has included preschool children that are visually impaired, deaf, autistic, limited in mobility, German speakers, and Spanish speakers. Her high school students come from SLOHS, the County Special Education Program, Pacific Beach HS, and Templeton Independent Study Program.

She gives to the community and works to instill the importance of community into her students. She facilitates and coordinates community fieldsite opportunities at elementary schools, preschools, and family day care homes. She recruits and coordinates cabin leaders for local elementary schools; sixth grade resident camps at Lake Cachuma and Fish Camp in Yosemite. She provides a variety of volunteer opportunities for students at local school carnivals and community events, such as the Birth and Baby Fair at Mission Plaza. Sue, herself, is a founding member of the San Luis Distance Club and serves as a Sunday School teacher and child care attendant at her church.

Sue is a mother of two adult daughters, three granddaughters, including set of twins who just turned 1 year old.