Alan Haskvitz

In Alan’s first year teaching, the students’ standardized state test scores were at the 22nd percentile level. By using his methods and curriculum, student test scores went into the 94th percentile, the largest gain in history. His students routinely engage in activities that utilize their studies. They have a “Feed the Homeless” garden that utilizes all recycled materials and water, prepare a daily newsletter, On the Day You were Born, for the the local maternity wards; have drafted and passed state laws, rewritten and accepted the voting poll rules for the County of Los Angeles; and devised a plan to save 23 million gallons of water a year for their community. Haskvitz’s students have also developed plans that ended graffiti in schools and the community, sponsored seeing eye dogs and educated the public about the history of their community. Haskvitz is one of the few teachers in America who has served as a city commissioner and worked as a volunteer in two cities — where he lives and where he works. His students have corresponded with world leaders on matters of concern as divergent as the Queen of England and General Noriega.