Travis Geving, a Cedar Heights Middle School math teacher, has been named the Kent School District 2013 Teacher of the Year.
Geving started working at Cedar Heights in 2000.
Superintendent Dr. Edward Lee Vargas and other district executives came to Cedar Heights to announce Geving’s selection to the entire staff. Geving, visibly moved by the announcement, received a standing ovation from his friends and colleagues.
Director of Talent Management and Development David Staight led the selection team and said there were many good candidates for Teacher of the Year, but Geving was the clear choice.
“Parents fight to get their students into Travis’ class,” Cedar Heights Principal Heidi Maurer said. “He listens and works with all students and takes the time with those that are having trouble and explains it to them again or in a different way, because not everyone learns at the same speed or in the same way,” a student wrote in the nomination.
“Travis is a great representative of the teachers who work in Kent School District. Each and every day they give their best to their students, and set high expectations because they know the students are entering a world where the best is expected to be successful,” said Superintendent Dr. Edward Lee Vargas. “I want to congratulate Travis on this recognition. He is very deserving.”
Since 2002, Geving’s classes have met the overall Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) mathematics requirements, 90 percent of his students met mastery on the Algebra EOC assessment in 2010-11, and his classes met AYP in math for special education. Geving’s intervention students raised their state assessment scores, on average, by 22 points in 2010-11.
He has also been the math curricular leader at the middle school for the last five years.
Geving’s selection as the district’s teacher of the year means he is a candidate for regional teacher of the year within the Puget Sound Educational Service District – which serves 35 public school districts.
The regional teacher of the year recipients then become candidates for the 2013 Washington State Teacher of the Year which is announced in the fall.
