New Berlin West teacher selected as one of five 2024 Wisconsin Teachers of the Year
Students and staff at New Berlin West Middle/High School lined the hallways to surprise one of their teachers with an award from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Saghar Homayounpour, a computer science teacher at the school, was recognized as a 2024 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year during a surprise ceremony May 1 at her school. She walked around the hallways of the school while being applauded by students and staff before being taken to another room, where she was presented with the award. Among those at the award ceremony were Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly, New Berlin School District Superintendent Joe Garza, State Sen. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) and State Rep. Dave Maxey (R-New Berlin).
Homayounpour is the first of five 2024 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year award recipients to receive the award. Those five teachers are then interviewed, and one is selected to represent Wisconsin in the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) National Teacher of the Year. No special designation is given to that chosen teacher, according to the DPI.
Wisconsin's representative for the National Teacher of the Year award program will be announced later this summer or early this fall, according to an email from DPI communications officer Chris Bucher.
Two of the other five Wisconsin Teacher of the Year award winners were announced May 2: Claudia Heller de Messer, an English as Second Language teacher at Milwaukee Parkside School in Milwaukee Public Schools; and Rachel Kumferman, a school social worker at McKinley Elementary School in the Wauwatosa School District. The other two Wisconsin Teacher of the Year award winners have not yet been announced.
Homayounpour said she was shocked to receive the honor.
"I just want to say thank you so much. It's unexpected. I know it's maybe cliche, but honestly it wouldn't be happening without your support, every single one of you," she said. "My husband, my family, the school, principal, staff, colleagues and with the encouragement of my students, who encourage me to keep going. They appreciate what we do, and I learn from them, and I enjoy every single second of working here."
Originally from Iran, Homayounpour started as a computer science teacher at New Berlin West in the 2015-16 school year. She holds a bachelor's degree in English literature from Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, Iran, and attended the computer science program at both the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Ottawa. She also earned a computer science teaching license in Canada in 2011 from the Council of the Ontario College of Teachers before returning to the United States and starting her teaching career at New Berlin West.
One of Homayounpour's successes as a teacher includes the success of the CyberPatriot Club that she started in 2018 "with students earning consistent top placings at the state level," Bucher's email said. CyberPatriot is a program created by the Air & Space Forces Association that allows students in grades K-12 to explore careers in cybersecurity and other STEM-related fields. There is also a national competition for middle and high school students related to the program.
Homayounpour also supports novice computer science teachers as a mentor teacher by providing one-on-one support. She has grown New Berlin West's computer science program to serve more than 200 students each year.
New Berlin School District communications coordinator David Cotey added in an email that Homayounpour was nominated for "her outstanding work as a teacher, putting students first, making connections and relentlessly working to help students grow."
"Additionally, she was an integral member of the team that created multiple pathways and courses for students in the area of computer science for the School District of New Berlin, thus assisting in the growth of computer science program," Cotey wrote.
Garza said the honor was great not just for Homayounpour and New Berlin West Middle/High School, but also for the New Berlin School District and the New Berlin community.
"I could not be more proud of Saghar for exemplifying the high quality of teaching and learning that takes place in all of our amazing schools," Garza said during the presentation of Homayounpour's award.
Vivian Dinh, a sophomore at New Berlin West High School in one of Homayounpour's computer science classes, also praised Homayounpour.
"She puts in extra effort and care to see that every single one of her students succeed, and I'm just a product of that. Ms. Homa's passion and teaching has inspired me to pursue computer science in college and as a career. This award truly fits her because she has changed my life and so many others," Dinh said.
Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New Berlin West teacher selected as one of five teachers of the year
