TEACHER'S TALENTS WIN HIM $25,000 MILKEN AWARD STUNS HIGH TECH HIGH INSTRUCTOR.Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer LAKE BALBOA - High Tech High L.A. teacher Mathew McClenahan woke up Tuesday on the wrong side of the bed and arrived at his desk hoping to play hooky Verb 1. play hooky - play truant from work or school; "The boy often plays hooky" bunk off jargon, lingo, patois, argot, vernacular, slang, cant - a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves); "they don't speak our lingo" from a school assembly. The math and physics instructor at the year-old charter school built on the campus of Birmingham High School Birmingham High School is a public coeducational high school in the neighborhood/district of Lake Balboa in the San Fernando Valley section of the city of Los Angeles, California. The school is a part of District One of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). nearly missed receiving a meritorious teacher award of $25,000. ``I'm stunned,'' said McClenahan, 35, of Van Nuys, one of two Los Angeles-area teachers to win the prestigious Milken National Educator Awards on Tuesday during surprise assemblies at their schools. ``I had no idea,'' he said. ``I was actually working (in my classroom) during the presentation. They sent a student to come get me.'' Considered the ``Oscars of Teaching'' by Teacher Magazine, the cash award from the Lowell Milken Family Foundation Milken Family Foundation is a charity trust established by Lowell Milken and Michael Milken in 1982. External links
Iowa native McClenahan is credited for his hands-on instruction, innovative teaching and support of fellow teachers. He's also the school's varsity wrestling coach. Spanish teacher James Orihuela of Cecil B. DeMille Noun 1. Cecil B. DeMille - United States film maker remembered for his extravagant and spectacular epic productions (1881-1959) Cecil Blount DeMille, DeMille Middle School in Long Beach received the second prize awarded Tuesday, one of 100 teachers to receive the award this fall. Dubbed the ``heart and soul'' of the school's dual-language immersion program, Orihuela helped each pupil pass the Golden State Spanish Language Spanish language, member of the Romance group of the Italic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Romance languages). The official language of Spain and 19 Latin American nations, Spanish is spoken as a first language by about 330 million persons exam. Educators, Hollywood producers and philanthropists praised teachers for inspiring the next generation of leaders in a competitive global economy. ``I want to commend you for your commitment to public education,'' said Jack O'Connell
Jack T. O'Connell (born October 8, 1951) is a California politician. , state superintendent of public instruction, who flew down from Sacramento for the award ceremonies at each school. ``You are a model for other schools. Public education clearly is on the right track in the state of California - and you are helping lead the way.'' In just a year, High Tech High L.A. has rocketed to the top rank of California schools. As nearly 300 whiz kids “Whiz Kids” redirects here. For other uses, see Whiz Kids (disambiguation). The Whiz Kids were ten United States Army Air Forces veterans of World War II who became Ford Motor Company executives in 1946. They were led by their commanding officer, Charles B. filed into its designer-colored, industrial-style auditorium, everyone wondered the name of its new prize winner. Milken, a philanthropist and Birmingham High graduate whose name graces the front of the High Tech High L.A. school, riveted students with a pep talk on teachers within the new world economy. It was teachers such as those at Birmingham who, during the Cold War, fueled a generation of American kids capable of going head-to-head with the Soviets and their Sputnik Sputnik: see satellite, artificial; space exploration. Sputnik Any of a series of Earth-orbiting spacecraft whose launching by the Soviet Union inaugurated the space age. satellite. And it is the teachers of today who will help the U.S. go toe-to-toe with the burgeoning economies of India and China, he said. ``Virtually every successful person will tell you that they had a very special teacher or two to get them where they are,'' said the boyish Milken, head of his foundation. ``In this country, we do not do enough to support our teachers.'' He was joined by former Los Angeles school The Los Angeles School of Urbanism is an academic movement emerged during the mid-1980s, loosely based at the University of Southern California and UCLA, that poses a challenge to the dominant Chicago School of Urbanism. board member Roberta Weintraub, founder of High Tech High, and actor/director/producer Robert Townsend, director of ``Hollywood Shuffle,'' who praised special pedagogues like the soon-to-be-announced McClenahan. It was James Reed
``He gave me my reading skills,'' Townsend said. ``But more importantly, he gave me my life skills because he was the first person to believe in me.'' As Milken read the name of his winner from a game-show-like cue card cue card n. A large card held out of the audience's sight, bearing words or dialogue in large letters as an aid for a speaker or actor chiefly in television broadcasting. , the assembly exploded into a cacophony of catcalls cat·call n. A harsh or shrill call or whistle expressing derision or disapproval. v. cat·called, cat·call·ing, cat·calls v.tr. To express derision or disapproval of with catcalls. v. and applause. McClenahan, overwhelmed, put his hand to his mouth to cover a blackboard-size grin. ``It's not every day you wake up in the morning and go to school and win $25,000,'' he told the assembly. ``High Tech High wouldn't be what it is without all you outstanding teachers. Every one of you deserves an award.'' Students called him a first-rate teacher who never failed his class - because he helps each and every student master their subjects. ``He's straight up,'' said Jonathon Bar, 14, of Sherman Oaks. ``If he sees you aren't doing well, he'll make you feel better - but he's also very strict.'' ``He's like a dad or something ... He's always been there for us,'' said Tolga Duymayan, 17, of North Hills, speaking for a group of fellow students. ``He always gives us lectures on life. He prepares us for the real world. He says it's not going to be easy and that education is the key to making it easier.'' McClenahan, standing before a gaggle of students, called his wife in Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. to tell her about the award. Before dialing, he said he hadn't a clue how to spend his winnings. ``I won an award, for teaching. There's a lot of people here with cameras,'' he said via speaker cell phone to his wife, who was so incredulous when he proposed to her she initially responded: ``Shut up.'' In equal disbelief Tuesday, after hearing about the prize, Elaine McClenahan told her husband: ``Very funny.'' Dana Bartholomew, (818) 713-3730 dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) High Tech High Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. teacher Mathew McClenahan laughs with his students after calling his wife to tell her of his teaching award. (2) Students at a High Tech High Los Angeles assembly hold up a sign Tuesday reading ``$25,000,'' the amount teacher Mathew McClenahan won for a Milken National Educator Award. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
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