Matthew Reid has only been a teacher for seven years, but his impact during this time will be felt for decades to come. After spending some time teaching at a traditional high school, Reid joined the faculty of Wenona Alternative High School in Bay City, MI, where he currently teaches English to high school students with unique learning challenges and at-risk backgrounds. Through his creative teaching methods and commitment to excellence he has dramatically improved his student's work and outlook on life and what it takes to succeed.
Reid instills in his students a belief that regardless of previous struggles in school or personal challenges, all students can succeed. Reid's students are the best examples of this mantra. The retention rate of students successfully finishing classes is consistently higher in his classroom than in any other classroom at Wenona; ACT scores have shown almost a 10 percent improvement; and 2009 reading scores show 100 percent reading proficiency scores for his students. Additionally, Reid's accomplishments extend far beyond the classroom. When Reid joined the faculty at Wenona, no extracurricular activities existed. Seeing this as an opportunity, Reid took the initiative to direct and produce the school's first play, set up poetry readings, organize Saturday field trips and oversee the school's student store, becoming an important part of his school community as a whole. He is an active community member in Bay City as well, serving on his district's language arts committee and working at the technical crew manager for a community theater.
1998 Saginaw Valley State University, B.A.
Michigan Alternative Teacher of the Year (2010), Hal Peterson Award for Teaching Excellence (2014), Saginaw Valley League Teacher of the Year (2015)
