Chad Booth, NWPE member in Coeur d'Alene Public Schools, was chosen as last year's district Middle School Teacher of the Year.  He was featured as the Member Spotlight in the August 2015 issue of the Association of American Educators' Education Matters newsletter.  Learn more about Chad's experience as a teacher and advocate for teacher choice below.

Chad Booth Selected Middle School Teacher of the Year

Chad Booth is a dedicated teacher, to say the least. In addition to being a member of AAE’s state chapter, Northwest Professional Educators (NWPE), Mr. Booth has been teaching for 16 years and currently empowers students at Lakes Magnet Middle School, in Coeur d’Alene, ID. Mr. Booth has become deeply involved with his local community and dedicates large amounts of his free time to the well-being of his students, offering extra time after and before school for studying, advice, and community engagement. Mr. Booth is a role model, not just for his students—who even after graduating still seek out his sage advice—but for fellow teachers as well. 

Lakes Magnet Middle School emphasizes advanced learning in science, arts, and health. Mr. Booth plays an integral part in fostering the school’s deep sense of community and innovation. While teaching 7th- and 8th-grade world cultures and U.S. history, he engrains in his students a sense of something bigger than themselves. It is because of his dedication to his students, his school, and his greater community that Mr. Booth has been selected as Coeur d’Alene School District’s Middle School Teacher of the Year (TOY), an accolade he can add to a long list of others from previous years! 

What motivates you as an educator? 

I have a passion for kids and being a part of their developmental years. My ultimate goal is to build positive relationships with them so they know that they always have someone there for them. 

What do you like about teaching in your school? 

The students are the reason I get up and go to work every day. We also have an unmatched support system within our community. 

What sets your school district apart? Why do you think so many state TOYs hail from Coeur d’Alene schools? 

I think what sets us apart is our dedication to our profession. So many Teachers of the Year hail from here because we are supported professionally. 

If you have taught in other schools, how is this school different from the others? 

Lakes Magnet Middle School is different from other schools I’ve taught at because of the opportunities we make available for students to develop new skills and how involved we are in our community. 

What does it mean to you to be chosen as the district’s middle school TOY? 

It’s a wonderful honor. It means that my peers respect me and see good things in my classroom and school. I’m excited to have an opportunity to share my stories with my fellow teachers! 

Please describe your best idea for raising the professionalism of teaching as a career and how it will help to enhance respect for the profession of education. 

My best idea is to have a growth mindset when it comes to teaching. If you think you have it all figured out, you better start to worry. We ALL have room to learn and grow. As professionals, we can’t complain anymore about what we don’t have. We need to focus on what we DO have and make it even better! 

Please describe your primary reasons for joining AAE/NWPE and how membership has personally benefited your career as an educator. 

My wife Jodi and I joined because we no longer agreed with where our CEA, IEA, and NEA dues were going. They were helping organizations we didn’t morally agree with. We were tired of silly “tactics” of persuasion used by the union. We’re tired of them protecting poor teachers and do not like being told who to vote for. 

In your view, what’s the #1 thing prospective members should know about AAE/NWPE? 

AAE/NWPE offer much better coverage without the political affiliation—they’re just professionals working hard to better those around them. 

In recent years, your school district has ended the practice of excluding AAE/NWPE from its benefit fairs. How do you feel about this and are there additional positive changes the district might make to support teacher choice? 

I am working on this in our district. My goal is to professionally collaborate with the people involved in giving teachers a choice. No influence, just choice and let them decide. My goal is also to have a voice at our new teacher orientation. 

How does having a choice of professional organizations benefit teachers, students, and public education as a free marketplace of ideas? 

It’s freedom! No hassles and struggles with moral decisions. You can decide where your teaching skills can be best used. Teachers need to know that they have options. 

And what better way to exercise that right than starting with AAE/NWPE. 

We love featuring amazing teachers! Do you have a story to tell? Tell us about them by emailing editor@aaeteachers.org.

email to friend

Print

comment

Permalink

Comments (0)