Aris Pangilinan

Aris grew up in the Philippines with 11 brothers and sisters, and instead of pursuing a doctorate he sent his younger siblings to college. He was a high school and college teacher in the Philippines for seven years. For the last 13 years he has worked in the US Public School System, teaching mathematics, computer science, and pre-engineering in an impoverished area of Washington, DC.

He uses a flipped-classroom approach and project-based learning, and has developed a variety of teaching styles to engage especially his less accomplished students. Online resources are used extensively for assessment, application and enrichment. His teaching has led to outstanding academic results. For example, at a previous school more than half his students received Bill Gates Scholarships every year because of their academic growth. In 2013 his mathematics classes achieved 100% proficiency (52% advanced) in the DC State Test. His grade 10 students from regular classes outperformed the other classes in the school and the district in the DCPS standards-based assessments. Under his tutelage his students have also won numerous mathematics and STEM competitions.

For his efforts to improve academic access for all students regardless of their background, Aris has won several local and national awards, including the US Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.