Education Notes: 2 Tucson-area AP programs score national honors

Advanced Placement programs at Marana and Tanque Verde high schools are being honored by The College Board.

The districts’ programs were recognized in the board’s annual AP District Honor Roll for their commitment to increasing under-represented students’ access to AP classes, according to a press release.

AP classes offer students an opportunity to pursue academically rigorous, college-level studies while in high school. Students can earn college credit if they pass end-of-the-year AP tests.

Marana and Tanque Verde were two of five Arizona school districts honored this year.

Rotary club awards 7 local high schoolers

The Tucson Kino Rotary Club has honored seven Southeastern Arizona high school students with character awards.

The awards recognize students who demonstrate they are role models and leaders at their schools. This year, the Rotary Club awarded Star Academic High’s Joscell Bailey, Desert View’s Chantal Bustamante, Sunnyside’s Alyssa Miranda, Baboquivari’s Johnathan Joaquin Bailey, Pueblo Magnet’s Rohan Ather, PPEP TEC’s Hanna Smith and Alta Vista’s Alan Manuel Loreto.

Each student received a $50 gift card. The Rotary Club will also donate $25 to every awardee’s charity of choice.

TUSD educator named ‘Illuminator of the Year’

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Illuminate Education has named Daniel Sánchez, TUSD’s instructional data coordinator, as an “Illuminator of the Year.”

Sánchez scored the honor for his work on SchoolCity, Tucson Unified’s “one-stop-shop” system for data, assessment and instruction, according to a press release. He has also led the effort alongside TUSD’s language-acquisition department to translate assessments for English-language learning students.

“I’m humbled by this recognition,” Sánchez said in a press release. “Empowering our younger learners with their data is a crucial next step in educationally serving them.”

2 Tortolita teachers win $5,000 grants from Fiesta Bowl program

Tortolita Middle School teachers Adam Scafede and Flor Preciado have been awarded $5,000 each through the Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program.

Scafede, a seventh- and eighth-grade teacher, said he will use the money to teach his students engineering design through underwater ROVs, or remote-controlled robotic systems.

Preciado, a Spanish teacher, will use her grant to purchase art supplies for student projects and an interactive projector.

The Tortolita teachers competed against more than 4,100 educators from over 115 cities across Arizona for the grants.