The student news site of Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California

The Talon

The student news site of Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California

The Talon

The student news site of Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California

The Talon

LAHS Teachers Awarded at Santa Clara County’s Teacher Recognition Ceremony

Earlier this month, two teachers from the school were honored with awards from the Santa Clara County Office of Education for their outstanding teaching at the 45th annual Teacher Recognition Celebration ceremony, which took place at the Heritage Theater in Campbell. English teacher Michael Moul was honored as 2014 Santa Clara County Teacher of the Year and science teacher Meghan Straz won the 2014 Texas Instruments STEM Teaching Award.

“Mr. Moul and Mrs. Straz are outstanding examples of staff who put kids first and have a passion for teaching,” MVLA District Superintendent Barry Groves said. “I would have loved having them for my teachers when I was in high school. They love teaching and could not imagine themselves in any other profession.”

Moul and Straz were first informed that they won the awards in June. Teachers the school were asked to nominate a few of their peers for the award and write a short explanation as to why they felt a specific teacher deserved the honor.

The awards these two teachers won are testament to their commitment and willingness to exceed scholastic requirements. On top of teaching, Moul and Straz also facilitate student activities outside their teaching jobs. Moul is adviser for the Talon, the school’s student-run newspaper, and Straz is advisor for the club Women in STEM (WiSTEM).

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“[Winning the award] was an incredible honor. I feel privileged to be a part of such a great community that supports STEM education,” Straz said. “[This award shows] that our community sees the importance to STEM education in our area and that we are making great strides in getting students ready for careers in STEM fields and career opportunities that are right in their backyards.”

Straz wants students all across the country to be exposed to STEM by expanding the availability of technology and learning materials.

“I’d like to see all students have the opportunities for great learning in STEM fields,” Straz said. “That means getting lab equipment and reagents to schools that don’t have them, training for teachers who are interested in new techniques, and getting leaders of industries and higher education on board for supporting STEM education at the secondary level. I’m finding great opportunities through a network of passionate teachers and leaders who are working on these very issues right now. I’m glad to be a part of not only our Los Altos community STEM education, but our greater Bay Area community as well.”

Groves also shares Straz’s view on the importance of preparing students for careers involving technology by providing them with opportunities to experiment and accomplish.

“I would like to see us utilize our technology to improve student achievement and encourage student creativity, collaboration and problem solving,” Groves said. “It is an exciting time to be a teacher and a student.”

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