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More than a year later after first being nominated, Foothill High School biomedical sciences and health teacher Josh Hill will finally be presented with an Alameda County Teacher of the Year award during a special ceremony honoring more than a dozen Bay Area educators next week.
Hill was originally named the 2020-21 Teacher of the Year at Pleasanton Unified School District last year, but no countywide selections were made at the time due to the pandemic. So Hill now finds himself among three 2021-2022 county Teachers of the Year, with the winners announced Tuesday.
Along with 16 other teachers from throughout the county, Hill will be recognized at the ceremony put on by the Alameda County Office of Education next Thursday (Nov. 4).
Principal Sebastian Bull said in a statement that the school is “proud to have Mr. Hill as part of our Foothill Falcon community and thrilled that he is receiving this well deserved recognition.”
“Mr. Hill’s leadership as well as his ability to engage and inspire students will benefit our Falcons for years to come,” Bull said.
A familiar face at PUSD for more than 12 years, Hill teaches biomedical sciences and also serves as the department chair for Foothill’s career technical education (CTE) program. Hill also participates in the Tri-Valley Education Collaborative, which identifies opportunities for collaboration between Tri-Valley high schools and community colleges.
The district credited Hill for being “integral in the push for numerous grants to support the expansion of CTE courses and Project Lead the Way programs at Foothill High School,” including helping secure a $3 million state grant to expand the new CTE classroom buildings on campus.
Officials also described Hill’s teaching style as emphasizing “connections before content” and “placing a huge priority on building relationships and rapport with his students.”
Foothill junior Sana Jayavarapu said this approach makes Hill’s lessons “relatable so we actually understand the material and so it sticks.”
“He always makes sure to ask how we feel and gets our input,” Jayavarapu said. “We get hands-on experience every week through Mr. Hill’s labs and I learn about different career paths available to me. You learn about yourself and what path is the best fit for you.”
PUSD Superintendent David Haglund said Hill’s “dedication and leadership of the CTE efforts at Foothill has paved the way for generations of students to find their passion and pursue one of many biomedical science careers in innovative, engaging learning environments.”
Among the 17 local honorees to be highlighted during the county ceremony next week is PUSD’s 2021-22 Teacher of the Year recipient and Village High teacher Russell Sato, as announced earlier in the year. The other local winners from Tri-Valley districts were:
Christopher Wheeler (Sunol-Glen Unified), Diana Hasenpflug (Tri-Valley Regional Occupational Program), Lilia Tsui (Dublin Unified) and Christopher Filice (Livermore Valley Joint Unified).
The two countywide winners from the 2021-22 class of district nominees were Jessica Jung of Oakland Unified and Erica Viray Santos of San Leandro Unified. Both moved onto the statewide Teacher of the Year competition, but did not advance to the finals. Hill was not eligible for the state competition this year because he was technically part of PUSD’s 2020 nominee class.
Tickets for the 2021 Alameda County Teacher of the Year Awards Ceremony, which runs from 7-9 p.m. on Nov. 4, are available at acoe.org/teachersoftheyear. Event tickets can be purchased at acoe.org/tickets.
Could not agree any more. Josh Hill is an extraordinary teacher and has inspired our three kids in very different ways. Congratulations on this MUCH deserved recognition and award!