`WAY TO SPEND LIFE' TEACHER OF YEAR REAL WINNER.Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer LANCASTER - During his 30 years in education, Highland High School Highland High School or Highlands High School may refer to: In the United States:
gym mat, mat - sports equipment consisting of a piece of thick padding on the floor for gymnastic sports as well. At Highland High and before that at Franklin High in the Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. , Young has been the winningest wrestling coach in California - for teams that have won 541 matches. At Highland, his teams have won 427 and lost 75. Last year, 82 students wrestled for the Highland team. Typically, there are 20 to 30 wrestlers, school officials said. ``From a coaching perspective, his record speaks for itself. Coaches are measured by a won-and-loss record and also by looking at their program. The program is not only competitive on the mat but also competitive from the standpoint of what other coaches want their program to be like,'' Principal Pat Iaccino said. Young, who last week was named Teacher of the Year for the Antelope Valley Union High School District The Antelope Valley Union High School District (A.V.U.H.S.D.) is located in the Antelope Valley area of California, in northern Los Angeles County. The district includes eight public high schools, one trade school, and two continuation high schools in the cities of Palmdale , is modest about his coaching record, attributing it to ``just sticking around a long time.'' ``I've been blessed with good kids and supporting people Supporting People is a UK government programme helping vulnerable people live independently and keep their social housing tenancies. It is run by local government and provided by the voluntary sector. It was launched on 1 April, 2003. External links
A Leona Valley resident, Young has been teaching and coaching in the district since 1985. He's been at Highland since the campus opened in 1989. He teaches English - for seniors, advanced-placement students and those in the International Baccalaureate Organization's pre-university diploma program. He previously taught for 11 years at Franklin High in northeast Los Angeles. He moved to the Antelope Valley for the affordable housing. ``I couldn't afford a house in L.A. I lived in Palmdale for two years while coaching at Franklin and commuted. It just got too much, so I was hired by Jim Carmichael at Palmdale High School div style="float:right; margin: 0 0 1em 2em; width: 20em; text-align: right; font-size: 0.86em; font-family: lucida grande, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"> '''Palmdale High School ,'' Young said. Young said he enjoys exposing students to great works of literature. ``When you introduce kids to something that is really special, like Shakespeare and Wordsworth, and you can see their eyes light up and the light go on in their head, you've reached them. What you feel about a great work you sort of transferred to them,'' Young said. ``With coaching, it's the same thing. You see a kid progress, and all of sudden he figures it out and becomes an excellent wrestler and achieves,'' Young said. He wrestled at San Fernando High School San Fernando High School, located in San Fernando, California, is a secondary school that is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. The school colors are black and gold. All girl teams are referred to as Lady Tigers, all boy teams simply as Tigers. under Sam DeJohn, a history teacher and coach who inspired Young to become a teacher. ``I thought it was a great way to spend your life. If you really wanted to accomplish something with your life, education was a great area in which to do so,'' Young said. Young's father was a sheet metal mechanic and his mother a Lockheed photographer who took photos of top-secret projects. Young got a bachelor's degree in history and English at California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an , where he also wrestled. He received a master's in English from California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Los Angeles (also known as Cal State L.A., CSULA, or "'CSLA"') is a public university, part of the California State University system. . ``My father was always quiet and supportive,'' he recalled. ``I got my teaching and coaching style from my father and my tenacity from my mom.'' Young's wife, Cheryl, also is an English teacher. Their daughter, Nicole, teaches special education at Palmdale High School. Son Brian is a computer technician in the Muroc Joint Unified School District A unified school district is a school district which includes both primary school (kindergarten through middle school or junior high) and high school (grades 9-12). In Illinois, these districts are called unit school districts. . Son Stuart is a history and special-education teacher at Littlerock High School Littlerock High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Littlerock, California. It is the a part of the Antelope Valley High School District (AVHSD). External links
Iaccino said he has known Young since 1985, when they were both teachers at Palmdale High School. ``He's just a tremendous teacher. He does such a great job of working with students, all students,'' Iaccino said. ``Mike not only sets a high standard for kids, but also does everything in his power to get them to that level.'' Karen Maeshiro, (661) 267-5744 karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) English instructor and coach Michael Young is Antelope Valley Union High School District Teacher of the Year. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer (2) Coach Michael Young talks with his Highland High School team before members wrestle for championships. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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