Tom English, Social Studies Teacher and Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento, has been selected as the 2006 recipient of the Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award for the District of San Francisco. This honor will be bestowed upon Tom at the Huether Workshop in San Francisco on December 2 at the closing banquet.

Tom is a graduate of University of California at Davis and California State University at Sacramento and has spent 27 years at Christian Brothers High School. He is an accomplished social studies teacher and continues to teach full-time in addition to his administrative responsibilities as Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction. He is a 2003 graduate of the Lasallian Leadership Institute. He was honored by the Christian Brothers community as their Lasallian Educator of the Year in 1997 – 1998.

In the school’s nomination, Tom is referred to as “teacher extraordinaire,” one who “is extremely well respected among alumni, students, and faculty as a genuine Big Brother and Good Shepherd for those young men and women entrusted to his care.” His love for his subject is exceeded only by his love for his students. Tom takes very seriously John Baptist de La Salle’s call for all teachers to be strong examples for their students by never asking more of the students than he does of himself. Mr. Ray Burnell, Principal of Christian Brothers, says that “to watch Mr. English teach is to see the Founder’s words put into action; he touches the hearts of students by caring for them, listening to them, and encouraging them.”

The theme of Huether 2006 focuses on the vocation of the Lasallian educator as one called to work together with others to “give a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor.” Tom English has given many years to young people in response to this call. He is an example for all of us to follow.