 |
CBS Joseph Alvarico, center ,was chosen as one of California's Teachers of the Year. |
Robotics teacher Joseph Alvarico, who taches at Ygnacio Valley High School in the SF Bay Area, is one of the five 2024 California Teachers of the Year, as selected by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
“I am both thrilled and humbled at the same time to have been selected as one of the 2024 California Teachers of the Year," Alvarico said. "This distinction is a reflection of the long hours and unwavering commitment that I have put into my teaching career"
It has been a year of honors for Alvarico, who was hired in 2004 by the Mount Diablo Unified School District. Alvarico was named a Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year in September and one o the Teachers of the Year for the Mount Diablo school district in the Spring of 2023.
He teaches high school Engineering Essentials, Introduction to Engineering Design, and college level "dual enrollment" courses through a partnership with Diablo Valley College, and is also the advisor of the school's robotics club, "Femineer" STEM club and Interact Rotary Club for youth.
"My gratitude extends to multiple people in my life who have guided me along my professional path and supported my classroom every step of the way. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat! ("Thank you all!" in Tagalog.)" said Alvarico. Without you, I wouldn't be able to give my students the greatest service that I possibly could. I am excited to continue making a positive impact on the lives of my students, our local community, and the educational world at large.”
California Teachers of the Year are considered to be "ambassadors for the profession and serve as representatives of the state for the calendar year," according to the California Department of Education (CDE) news release announcing Alvarico's selection.
Thurmond said he was pleased to recognize the "remarkable educators, who all display deep commitment and innovation in their work—all while supporting their students through a difficult time. They make profound differences in their students’ lives and provide both inspiration and the practical tools that students need to succeed. They’re all prime examples of the exceptional work going on in California schools.”
Alvarico is the only Northern California teacher to receive this distinguished honor this year as the other four teachers reside in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties.
Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey said she was proud that a Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year was named one of the state’s top educators. “Joseph is a great example of the high-quality teaching and learning going on in Contra Costa County schools every day and it’s a great honor for him to be selected as a California Teacher of the Year," she said. "Congratulations to him, his colleagues and MDUSD for the support they have given him throughout this process and his career.”
Born in the Philippines to a family of educators, Alvarico has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Secondary Education degree. After answering an MDUSD ad seeking teachers in the Philippines, Alvarico immigrated to the United States in 2004 and initially began his MDUSD teaching career at Oak Grove MS, along with several other teachers hired from the Philippines.
After 12 years, Alvarico transferred to Ygnacio Valley HS, where he has worked for seven years. He combines previous on-the-job experience in the tech industry in the Philippines into his lessons while also focusing on community-building with his students. He strives to show all his students their potential and the possibilities available when they leave high school, no matter their economic status.
"My gratitude extends to multiple people in my life who have guided me along my professional path and supported my classroom every step of the way. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat! ("Thank you all!" in Tagalog.)" said Alvarico. Without you, I wouldn't be able to give my students the greatest service that I possibly could. I am excited to continue making a positive impact on the lives of my students, our local community, and the educational world at large.”
California Teachers of the Year are considered to be "ambassadors for the profession and serve as representatives of the state for the calendar year," according to the California Department of Education (CDE) news release announcing Alvarico's selection.
Thurmond said he was pleased to recognize the "remarkable educators, who all display deep commitment and innovation in their work—all while supporting their students through a difficult time. They make profound differences in their students’ lives and provide both inspiration and the practical tools that students need to succeed. They’re all prime examples of the exceptional work going on in California schools.”
Alvarico is the only Northern California teacher to receive this distinguished honor this year as the other four teachers reside in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties.
Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey said she was proud that a Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year was named one of the state’s top educators. “Joseph is a great example of the high-quality teaching and learning going on in Contra Costa County schools every day and it’s a great honor for him to be selected as a California Teacher of the Year," she said. "Congratulations to him, his colleagues and MDUSD for the support they have given him throughout this process and his career.”
Born in the Philippines to a family of educators, Alvarico has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Secondary Education degree. After answering an MDUSD ad seeking teachers in the Philippines, Alvarico immigrated to the United States in 2004 and initially began his MDUSD teaching career at Oak Grove MS, along with several other teachers hired from the Philippines.
After 12 years, Alvarico transferred to Ygnacio Valley HS, where he has worked for seven years. He combines previous on-the-job experience in the tech industry in the Philippines into his lessons while also focusing on community-building with his students. He strives to show all his students their potential and the possibilities available when they leave high school, no matter their economic status.
Alvarico may be the best argument for recruiting foreign teachers to offset the teacher shortage. The recruitment of teachers from other countries has been done for decades to help fill a teacher shortage of teachers caused, in part, by the retirement of Baby Boomers and those who have left the profession for better pay or burnout. The US lost 370,000 teachers since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reports the Washington Post.
Foreign teachers are being hired by school districts across the country, especially those who can teach STEM subjects. In 2022 the Philippines provided the most teachers for US classrooms.
In the years 2015 to 2021, the most recent statisticss availalbe, there were 19,491 teachers from 114 countries teaaching in teh US during that six-year period. Filipinos, because of their English fluency and economic conditions in the became part of the Philippines diaspora. The greatest numbers have come from:
- Philippines, with 4,338;
- Spain, with 3,614;
- Jamaica, with 2,213;
- China, with 1,816; and
- France, with 1,431.
SuperintendentThurmond chose the state Teachers of the Year based on CDE selection committees review of applications; evaluation of the teachers’ rapport with students and their classroom environments, presentation skills, and teaching techniques; and interviews with the teachers.
As part of his application, Alvarico submitted this video, in which he explains how he engages his students in learning and helps to develop their leadership and career skills. He begins with a traditional Filipino "Mabuhay" greeting, which is a formal way of saying, "hello," and includes laying the palm of his right hand over his chest in a welcoming gesture. He was also featured in a KPIX news report here.
"As a Filipino immigrant who didn't have much growing up, I believe education is a way out of poverty," Alvarico wrote in his CDE application. "Education has brought me here to the US And it's through education that I find myself among the best educators in California."
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.
No comments:
Post a Comment