Even though John had been with Peat Marwick, taught accounting at the university level, was a CFO in the healthcare industry, and had his JD credential, he still wasn’t doing what he wanted.  When he met his sweetheart Makiko, an AUSD teacher, he began to help out with the Arcadia Educational Summer School program and knew then that teaching was what he wanted to do.  After earning his teaching credential, he taught in other Districts, substituted and was hired by Arcadia Unified to teach at Foothills Middle School in 2002.

At his school site, John is a beginning teacher support provider, a mentor teacher, on the Leadership Team and History Curriculum Committee.  He is advisor to Foothills Associated Student Body and coordinates dances, rallies and campus beautification.

John is a leader in utilizing technology in instruction and his class has piloted the technology-based English/writing program, My Access.  In his classroom, students use video streaming, Power Point and other programs in studying Ancient History.

John married his inspirational Makiko in 2000 and they live in Arcadia with daughter Faith (3rd grade) and son Michael (1st grade).  The family enjoys bicycling, walking, swimming and reading.  John is a soccer coach and if time permitted, would like to do more with woodworking and coin collecting.

If John looks familiar, it’s because he was also Rotary Teacher of the Month in October, 2007.