San Juan Unified School District News

When I learned of my selection as a PAEMST national finalist on June 11, I notified my principal with all the details and recommended that he alert the school district's public relations office. He did.

But a Presidential Award is an odd bird. When you mention it to people—even to teachers, administrators, or district personnel—they don't know what it is. They simply haven't heard of it.

They've heard of Teacher of the Year, which is really a constellation of awards given annually at the district, county, state, and national level. PAEMST is not that. They've heard of News10's Teacher of the Month. PAEMST is not that.

They haven't heard of PAEMST because it is so rare. Only math and science teachers are eligible to apply, so that cuts out the wide majority of school teachers. And it alternates between K-6 (in even years) and 7-12 (in odd years).

I am only the 25th high school science teacher in California to have been named a PAEMST awardee since the program's inception in 1983. I teach more students than that in my 1st period AP Physics class.

Most teachers, administrators, and school personnel will complete their careers never knowing (or knowing of) a PAEMST honoree. So news of a PAEMST winner comes into newsrooms unexpected. Is it a big deal? A small deal? What is it? Is it really news?

The California Department of Education issued a press release congratulating Kentaro Iwasaki and me on our selection as PAEMST national finalists on Monday, June 25. While I was flying to Washington, DC on June 26, I received a message from my district's Community Relations office. They hoped to do an interview and to get some pictures. I contacted them upon my return from Washington, but they had closed down for the summer.

As the new school year got into full swing, my principal sent a gentle inquiry to the district regarding the addition of this news to the San Juan Scene/website news stream. SJUSD's Rebecca Leroux came out on August 23 for an interview, classroom observation, and in-class photo-shoot. She was nothing but professional and rolled with the flow of the day's classroom activity while doing her work.

Here's the story she wrote:

Rio teacher honored by President