Preparing for tomorrow
BY LELAND ACKER

Working to prepare students for successful careers, Rusk High School teacher Andy Marchetti exposes his students to what they will face once they graduate and go to college.

"I think my kids can be prepared to do what they want to when they leave Rusk High School," Mr. Marchetti said.

The veteran teacher of 22 years has taught in the Dallas inner-city, Huntington, New Braunfels, before coming to Rusk to teach Algebra II, Calculus and Computer Science.

"Teaching is a family thing," Mr. Marchetti said. "I didn't plan on being a teacher. I started in electrical engineering, then changed my major to math."

Mr. Marchetti holds a B.S. of Mathematical Sciences from Lamar University. His mother taught nursing at McNeese University, his sister teaches in New Braunfels and his grandfather taught at Georgetown University's medical school.

"It may be in my blood," Mr. Marchetti said.

Upon graduating from Lamar, he said his professors suggested going to work for a major company.

"I had no desire to get an office job where you do the same thing day after day," he said. So, Mr. Marchetti began teaching at the Dallas Independent School District.

Rusk High School teacher Andy Marchetti helps student Ben Christopher troubleshoot a computer problem during his afternoon Computer Science class. Mr. Marchetti also teaches Algebra II and Calculus.

He said teaching is a rewarding profession.

"The reward is seeing the students appreciate learning," he said. "You don't see it always. When you do, you see the student's face light up."

Mr. Marchetti said he also enjoys seeing students who have graduated and gone on to be productive people.

"It gives meaning to what I do, knowing I had a small part in that," he said.

Mr. Marchetti teaches Algebra II.

"It's a function-based approach," he said. "I find real life examples of what we'll be working on, show them that and help them see the connection between that and what we will study.

"Algebra II is college math. (Taking it) will make college math easier to take."

Mr. Marchetti said his calculus students have their sights set on higher learning.

"Calculus is the peak of math in the high school setting," he said.

Mr. Marchetti said he enjoys math because he enjoys seeing patterns and making connections.

During the summer of 2006, Rusk High School's math department was dealt a blow when the school received an "unacceptable" rating from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) due to a student subgroup having low scores in the math portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test.

"That made us focus more," he said. "We were teaching the subject, but not asking the questions the way the state asked the questions. It made us focus on how we taught the courses. Now we teach the concept, and ask the questions four different ways. We had to get the kids to bring up their thinking level."

Rusk has since obtained the "acceptable" rating.

Mr. Marchetti sees math education as being vital to the nation's future.

"We need to stay competitive worldwide," he said. "We need to get students to learn math so they can stay competitive and we won't give our jobs to other countries.

"Rusk does that. I think my kids are prepared to do what they want when they leave Rusk High School. This school has some of the finest teachers I have ever worked with."

Mr. Marchetti has seven children, two in high school and five he plans to put through Rusk High School.