Antioch Unified School District (AUSD) Names Michelle Stark as Teacher of the Year Deer Valley Academy of Performing Arts Lead Teacher, is AUSD’s Teacher of The Year!
Ms. Stark has been a teacher at Deer Valley High School for over 10-years. During her tenure, she has taught Show Choir, Divine Voices, and Production Practicum. During the 2015-16 school year, Mrs. Stark was named Deer Valley Academy of Performing Arts DVAPA Lead Teacher.
Ms. Stark says, “I feel honored to represent our district, and particularly happy to represent our family of performing arts teachers in our district. It all certainly took me by surprise and feels a bit overwhelming, but it’s a nice warm fuzzy feeling inside to be appreciated for what we do as teachers.”
Photo provided by AUSD
Ken Gardner, Principal of Deer Valley High School believes the District made the right choice in choosing Ms. Stark to represent the other amazing teachers in the District. According to Mr. Gardner, “Michelle Stark is an amazing teacher who has dedicated her teaching to improving the lives of others through music and the power of voice! Ms. Stark’s compassionate pursuit of excellence translates into amazing performances and a profound student experience. Her students are indelibly changed for the better through her guidance!”
Blair Wilkins, DVHS Vice Principal, nominated Ms. Stark in part for her role taking an already strong performing arts program from good to great.
“Ms. Stark teaches a wide range of students- some come with great experience, while others have no experience singing whatsoever. Ms. Stark teaches each and every student who enters her classroom and all her students love her for the time, patience, creativity, and passion that she brings each and every day to her classroom,” explained Wilkins. “Ms. Stark positively engages and effectively manages all her students through positive relationships. Walking into Ms. Stark’s class, you can feel the comradely between the students and themselves, as well as the respect and love they have for Ms. Stark.”
Since the 2015-16 school year, Ms. Stark has taught the DVAPA Capstone, Production Practicum. During this time, Ms. Stark inherited a class that the majority of the students chose to drop midyear, which negatively impacted the number of students completing the requirements of the academy. Stark has worked tirelessly improving DVAPA’s system of organization, as well as student completion. As a result, DVAPA has seen a 400% growth in the number of students completing the academy since 2015.
“Through Ms. Stark’s shared vision of work-based learning, she has created on campus internships, while teaming students to work together in a collaborative environment. Students are now responsible for marketing, decorating, advertising, as well as the hours it takes behind the scenes to run a show,” explained Wilkins. Rather than students dropping at the second semester, we have students who are on the waiting list to be added to the class. Ms. Stark found a way to build a community within the DVAPA academy that has positively impacted students, while giving them the necessary skills they need when seeking employment (team work, communication, problem solving, critical thinking, etc.).”
According to AUSD Superintendent, Stephanie Anello, “Ms. Stark is an outstanding teacher and well-deserving of this honor. She brings passion and expertise to all that she does and her love of teaching, her students and Deer Valley High School are evident. We feel honored to have Ms. Stark represent the nearly 1,000 amazing educators in the Antioch Unified School District.”
