By Kate Hill

Staff Writer

This fall, Cazenovia High School teacher Thuc Phan was accepted into the New York State Master Teacher Program (NYSMTP) — a professional network of high performing K-12 STEM (science, technology/computer science, engineering or mathematics) educators.

Phan — a computer science and technology teacher in the career and technical education (CTE) department — was one of 228 educators from across the state to join the NYSMTP this year.

“The district is incredibly proud of Mr. Phan and appreciative of his many contributions both in and out of the classroom,” Superintendent Matthew Reilly said. “Students gravitate to his classes not only for the outstanding instruction he provides, but also for the relationships he develops with all of his students.”

Governor Andrew Cuomo launched the NYSMTP in partnership with The State University of New York (SUNY) and Math for America in 2013.

The goal of the program is to foster development across three domains: knowledge of content; craft of teaching; and understanding of students, their families and their communities

According to the SUNY website, the NYSMTP network consists of “outstanding [public school] teachers recognized for their dedication to providing the most innovative STEM education to their students, their commitment to professional growth, and their enthusiasm for sharing their successful practices with colleagues in their schools, districts, and regions.”

Throughout the four-year program, Master Teachers commit to engaging in professional development work in addition to their school responsibilities.

The teachers meet regularly to participate in activities that lead to individual and collective professional growth.

Members also work with early career and pre-service teachers to help foster a supportive environment for the next generation of STEM educators.

Master Teachers receive $15,000 stipends annually over four years.

The program currently includes more than 1,200 Master Teachers, as well as several hundred Master Teachers Emeritus — individuals who have completed four years in the program and continue to actively contribute to STEM educational initiatives.

Phan is one of four Cazenovia Central School District (CSD) teachers in the NYSMTP.

The other Cazenovia members are CTE department leader Christopher Hurd (engineering), Kristin Reichert (science), and Master Teacher Emeritus Sean Kelly (chemistry).

Phan — who grew up in the Binghamton area — studied technology education at SUNY Oswego.

He began teaching at Cazenovia High School in 2008.

After working in the district for a couple of years, Phan decided to pursue a master’s degree in information design and technology from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica. He graduated in 2013 with a concentration in instructional design.

“When I first started teaching, I covered basic computing and graphic design on Photoshop,” Phan said. “Eventually, I [adopted a] programming class from my department leader, Chris Hurd, and fell in love with coding.”

According to Phan, his interest in coding inspired him to introduce a computer science track to the district — which, at the time, only offered the intro programming class.

“The biggest companies in our country are software companies, and computer technology has integrated into . . . almost every facet of our daily lives,” he said. “Computer science isn’t for everybody, but I think it’s beneficial to provide these learning opportunities at Caz.”

In 2017, Phan introduced the district’s first advanced placement computer science class. Around the same time, he also began incorporating fundamental programming concepts into his lower level classes.

“[Once] I saw the value in coding I decided to replace most of the Photoshop lessons with coding,” he said. “I wanted to introduce coding to all the kids that went through Caz, and I had the opportunity to do that with the mandatory 8th grade computer technology course. The value that I saw in coding was that it challenged students to think critically, it introduced them to different ways of thinking, and it tested their grit — their ability to persevere towards solving problems.”

More recently, Phan started teaching some of the high school’s pre-engineering courses.

Last year, he and Hurd taught computer integrated manufacturing together.

This year, Phan is teaching the class by himself.

He is also teaching AP computer science A, intro to computer applications, intro to computer programming, and principles of engineering, which is co-taught with Hurd.

Next year, he and Hurd also plan to co-teach digital electronics.

Eventually, Phan hopes to teach both the computer science track and the engineering track at the high school.

“Mr. Phan is an invaluable member of our faculty and staff,” said Cazenovia High School Principal Molly Hagan. “His knowledge base for computer, technology and engineering instruction is vast and ever widening. He challenges all students and looks for creative means to meet their needs . . . Mr. Phan is resourceful and innovative and he transfers those qualities to his students in instruction and extracurricular activities. [He is also] an amazing colleague . . . Our district is so fortunate to have a teacher of Mr. Phan’s caliber on our teaching team.”

Outside of the classroom, Phan is the designer, developer and manager of the Cazenovia CSD’s website. He has maintained the technical, functional and visual components of the district site for nearly a decade.

He also runs the morning announcements and serves as the technical director for the high school drama club.

“Our productions are enriched by the guidance Mr. Phan provides [behind the scenes] in the areas of set construction, lighting and sound,” Reilly said.

Phan applied to the NYSMTP because he believed he was well suited for the role of Master Teacher.

“They were looking for teachers that were continuously growing and trying to improve their craft, both in terms of pedagogy (how they teach) and content,” he said. “It just sounded like the perfect fit for me.”

Phan was also attracted to the prospect of collaborating with and learning from like-minded educators.

“Caz is a small school and there are so many great things about working here,” he said. “But there is always more to learn, especially from big schools like F-M, J-D and Liverpool. [I’m excited] to learn from other teachers and hear about what they are doing in their programs.”

The next NYSMTP application deadline is 11:59 p.m., Feb. 22, 2020.

For more information, visit suny.edu/masterteacher/about/.