VISTA - Paul Canaletti beamed with pride as he talked about how it felt to find out that Guajome Park Academy, the charter school where he teaches, recently won national and state awards from education reform groups.

"It's almost like a complete validation of the things you do every day in the classroom," he said with a smile.

This month, the school chartered by the Vista Unified School District, was selected a charter school of the year by the Center for Education Reform, a Washington D.C.-based group that was started in 1993 to encourage charter schools and reform in public education.

Out of nearly 4,000 charter schools across the country, Guajome Park was one of only 53 to receive recognition.

The awards are critical, because charter schools often don't receive the same accolades as traditional campuses, said Jeanne Allen, president of the education reform group.

"We should be praising and saluting great schools no matter what they are," she said. "Often, all (charter schools) get is criticism."

In addition to the national award, Guajome Park officials recently learned that the nearly 1,500-student campus was given a seal of approval from the California Charter School Association. Across the state, 30 schools were certified this month, including three others in North County - The Classical Academy in Escondido, Costal Academy in Oceanside and Pacific View Charter School in Oceanside.

"It's like achieving an academic Super Bowl," Guajome Park Superintendent Penny Harrison said about the two honors.

To recognize the school's achievements, the city of Vista designated May 23 as Guajome Park Academy Day in the city.

Canaletti, a drama teacher, was one of the school's employees who went to Washington D.C. on May 16 to accept the national award, a privilege he called "exhilarating."

"It felt so good to go and be part of that process," he said. "Here I was, going into the Capitol and hanging out with senators."

The national award was based on four themes: achievement; planning and execution; satisfaction; and policies and programs, according to the center's Web site.

"I think this award gives them the recognition and the credibility that what they're doing is good, and it's right," Allen said.

Harrison said she attributes much of Guajome Park's success to the support the campus has received from the city, school district and community.

"This award is really an award for the community," she said.

- Contact staff writer Stacy Brandt at (760) 631-6622 or sbrandt@nctimes.com.