MONROE, CT — Superintendent of Schools Joseph Kobza recently announced that William “Bill” McDonough is Monroe’s 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year, revealing the news during Monroe’s End of the Year Celebration on May 24.
The Monroe Teacher of the Year Program is conducted in conjunction with the State of Connecticut’s Teacher of the Year program, which is the State’s top award for Teachers.
McDonough was chosen from a pool of 140 nominations, representing 64 teachers from across the District. Nominations were received from parents, teachers, administrators, secretaries, para-educators and students. All of Monroe’s past Teachers of the Year, along with building principals, made up the selection committee.
McDonough has been a teacher in the Monroe Public Schools since 1993, beginning his career as a mathematics teacher before getting certified in Technology Education.
His colleagues credit him with moving Masuk High School’s Career and Technology Department into the 21st century. He has written curriculum for all of Masuk’s computer science, programming, engineering, robotics, and gaming courses.
He completes and manages the federal Perkins Grant every year, ensuring funds to buy state of the art equipment for the entire department. McDonough is the past president and current treasurer of the Connecticut Technology and Engineering Educators Association.
Most notably, McDonough has produced one of the most successful VEX robotics programs in the State of Connecticut. His teams have enjoyed regular success at state, regional, and national competitions.
The life lessons McDonough teaches in the classroom, and through the Robotics Club, have served as encouragement for many children to pursue college majors in the computer science, engineering, and robotics fields.
In her recommendation, a former student, who is a computer science major at the University of Massachusetts, wrote, “I owe it all to him” for her decision to pursue a major that is often underrepresented with women.
McDonough will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Monroe Convocation for all Monroe Staff in August 2021.
Kobza said the entire Monroe public school community is proud to announce McDonough McDonough as the 2021-2022 Monroe Teacher of the Year.
