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Published on 04/06/1998 All articles from this issue

MVHS teacher named to 'Who's Who' by pushing the envelope

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By Linda Taaffe / Town Crier Staff Writer

Frank Navarro, history teacher at Mountain View High School, was recently named to the Who's Who Among American Teachers 1998, a list of outstanding educators that includes only 5 percent of the nation's teachers annually.

Teachers can only be nominated for this honor by a select number of students recognized for their academic excellence.

"I was very surprised. It really made my day," said Navarro about being named to the list. "So often, teachers don't hear that much feedback."

Meredith Hughes, a senior at Mountain View High who was a student in Navarro's world history class during her freshman year and is currently enrolled in his "Facing History" class, nominated Navarro for "making a difference" in her life.

"He's really connected with the students and excited about (history)," Hughes said. He has really showed us the personal impact history can have on our lives today."

This is not the first time the San Francisco State University graduate has been honored. Navarro was the only teacher in California to be awarded a Mandel Fellowship for Holocaust studies from the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. this year. He has also studied at Yad Vashem, Israel's international center for Holocaust studies.

Navarro said during his 22 years as a teacher, he has regularly tried to add something new to his teachings in order to make his classes more interesting and make himself a better teacher.

"I guess I'm feeling that it's beginning to pay off. I can see it in the students sometimes by the way they respond," Navarro said.

Through guest speakers, movies, news articles and the Internet, Navarro said he tries to teach his students to make past connections with what's going on today - something he said "personalizes history."

This year Navarro launched "Facing History," a pilot course based on the study of the Holocaust and of the Armenian and Cambodian genocides.Navarro said he plans to teach a world studies class next year.

Mountain View High teacher Karen Koshgarian was named to the list, too. A profile on Koshgarian is upcoming.