Massapequa Teacher Earns National Recognition

MASSAPEQUA, NY - From Massapequa School District: Daniel Bachman, a social studies teacher at Massapequa High School, has been named the American Lawyers Alliance Teacher of the Year. He was recognized for his work with the law program and mock trial team.

Mr. Bachman, a 1990 graduate of Massapequa High School, has taught for 23 years including the past 18 at his alma mater. He has helped grow the law program, which is part of the social studies department, and is one of six faculty members teaching at least one law class. More than 200 hundred students are enrolled in 13 total sections of Introduction to Law levels 1, 2 and 3, which meet in the law classroom that resembles a courtroom. He also teaches Advanced Placement government.

He serves as an adviser to the mock trial team and coaches the “A” squad, which recently won the 2018 Nassau County Bar Association tournament. The team also won the county championship in 2012 and has placed at numerous other competitions. Every year, he brings the team to the Harvard Mock Trial High School Seminar Program.

The national Teacher of the Year award recognizes law-related educators who further the understanding of the role of courts, law enforcement agencies and the legal profession; help students recognize their responsibilities as well as their rights; encourage effective law-related education programs in their schools and communities; and increase communication among students, educators and those involved professionally in the legal system.

Mr. Bachman has recruited several Massapequa High School graduates who now work as attorneys and judges to mentor mock trial students. Last year, he attended the Supreme Court Summer Institute for Teachers, a weeklong program in Washington, D.C. with workshops led by Supreme Court experts, journalists, authors and attorneys to provide insight on arguing in front of the court. He then hosted training in Massapequa High School’s law room for other teachers on Long Island.

“There’s a genuine enthusiasm that goes along with this program,” Mr. Bachman said. “We do everything. If there’s a competition out there, we’re in it. I have my dream job.”

Mr. Bachman invites the district’s fifth-graders into the law room every year to see a case performed by high school students. He also organizes the high school’s Law Day in which is attended by more than 100 students who serve as lawyers and witnesses in mock cases. In 2016, took five students to witness the presidential
debate at Hofstra University.

“Mr. Bachman’s tireless work ethic is the main reason why the Massapequa High School law program is so successful,” said Dr. Brian Trapani, the curriculum associate for social studies. “He enthusiastically devotes his time on nights and weekends to ensure that students are prepared for upcoming tournaments. He has
played an integral part in designing the law curriculum, and all of this work helped create the foundation that led to the mock trial team winning the Nassau County championship.”

Photo courtesy of Massapequa School District