Verona teacher to be honored by Princeton University

Richard Wertz of Verona is one of four outstanding New Jersey secondary school teachers Princeton University will honor at its 2016 Commencement on Tuesday, May 31.

This year's other honorees are Ronald Duncan Jr. of Saint Anthony High School in Jersey City, Barbara Fasano of High Point Regional High School in Sussex and Matthew Morone of Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale.

The teachers were selected for the award based on nominations from public and private schools around the state. The teachers will receive $5,000, as well as $3,000 for their school libraries.

"Today, as our social and economic challenges grow more complex and difficult and we hold our teachers more accountable for the answers, it is easy to forget that teaching remains as much of an art as a science," said Christopher Campisano, director of Princeton's Program in Teacher Preparation, which administers the award program. "The four teachers we honor with this award demonstrate the art of teaching is still very much alive in our schools. Equally important is the passion, authenticity and love they bring into their respective classrooms applying their incredible skill and talent to fashion and mold uniquely beautiful portraits and sculptures reflected in the lives of their students."

The staff of the Program in Teacher Preparation selected 10 finalists, who were visited at their schools by a member of the program staff. Award winners were selected by a committee that was chaired by Dean of the College Jill Dolan. The panel also included Campisano, University faculty members Joshua Katz and Stanley Katz; Steve Cochrane, superintendent of the Princeton Public Schools; and Laura Morana, executive county superintendent of schools for Mercer and Middlesex counties.

Princeton has honored secondary school teachers since 1959. The University received an anonymous gift from an alumnus to establish the program.

Here is more about Wertz:

Thirty-six years ago, Richard Wertz took a chance on a computer science class as an elective during his ninth-grade year. Twenty-eight years ago, he graduated from Princeton with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and computer science. Twelve years ago, he changed careers, trading a job as a managing director at Goldman Sachs for one as a high school teacher.

He has applied all of those experiences to teaching calculus and computer science at Verona High School, where he established an AP computer science course, has overseen a jump in computer science course enrollment from 15 to 110 and has helped students double the amount of college credit earned in AP calculus classes.

"It is my hope that, through my work as a high school teacher, I can continue to inspire a love of computer science in my students, as a way of embracing mathematics, and as a way of thinking and solving problems, but also as a gateway to enriching future study of the 'pure' sciences, applied science and engineering, and mathematics," Wertz wrote in a personal statement.

Student Carla Bello was drawn to computer science classes by Wertz's call for more girls to learn coding. Since then, she has taken three classes under him and is part of the school's App Development Club, which he supervises.

"Mr. Wertz teaches in a way that makes difficult ideas, like mathematical concepts, easier to learn by representing the concepts visually or with real world examples," Bellow wrote in a nomination letter. "He teaches with enthusiasm and humor, so, even though we may be learning differentiability and existence theorems, class is never boring."

Colleague Thomas White wrote that Wertz is deserving of recognition.

"Rich's rare combination of intellect, magnanimity, deep thoughtfulness, low-key wit and humor, and genuine concern for people and for making our school the best and most effective place is an incredible asset to our school," White wrote.

(Photo by Princeton University Office of Communications)