Schools

District 99 Board Member Keith Matune Named High School Teacher of the Year

Matune, a social studies teacher at Lake Park High School in Roselle, was named the winner of the Barbara O'Donnell Teacher of the Year Award by the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago.

Keith Matune, a school board member in Community High School District 99, has been recognized as the High School Teacher of the Year by Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago, non-profit dedicated to civic education.

Matune, who teaches "Law and American Society" and U.S. History at Lake Park High School in Roselle, was presented the Barbara O'Donnell Award on Oct. 26 during the 2012 Illinois Law-Related Education Conference in Oak Brook.

The CRFC said everyone who reviewed Matune's nomination letters was moved by their content.

Find out what's happening in Downers Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

One former student wrote:

"Mr. Matune’s teaching style commanded my attention, like no other teacher I had in high school, by engaging his students with in-depth conversations about important or controversial topics involving the law, government or current events. More important than any particular lesson that was taught, I felt as though what I had to say mattered immensely to him, and it did. He would encourage students to go beyond their comfort zone, to constantly question, and make deeper, personal connections to the material being covered."

Find out what's happening in Downers Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Barbara O'Donnell High School Teacher of the Year Award is presented each year to an outstanding educator who demonstrates commitment to the craft of teaching, competence in the field, concern for student development, leadership among colleagues and general efforts to promote civic learning, according to the CRFC.

Matune, 43, graduated from Downers Grove North High School in 1987, and was elected to the District 99 School Board in 2011. 

Keith Matune's father, Walt Matune, received the same award in 1997, when he was a teacher at Downers Grove North High School, according CRFC officials.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

There are plenty of ways to keep up on Downers Grove news:


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here