Teacher Resigns For Health Reasons

MICHAEL MASON WELL-LOVED EDUCATOR

FARMINGTON — Farmington School Board on Monday accepted the resignation of high school science teacher Michael Mason and voted to hire Mike Howard as his replacement.

Mason, who has taught at Farmington High School for more than 14 years, submitted his letter of resignation Oct. 6, effective Oct. 19.

Principal Jon Purifoy on Friday sa id he wa s surprised to receive the letter. He said Mason resigned because of health reasons.

“He’s done a fantastic job,” Purifoy said about Mason, who has been in education more than 19 years. “He’s a very good teacher. My daughter was in his class and she loved him to death. But things come up.”

Clayton Williams, assistant principal of Farmington Career Academies, has known Mason for 20 years since both taught for St. Paul School District. Williams moved to teach in Farmington and when an opening for a science teacher opened in 2002, he encouraged the principal at the time to consider Mason for the job.

“He works well with kids. He has great characteristics and great qualities,” Williams said Friday.

Williams said he spoke to Mason’s classes last week to break the news to them and has seen an outpouring of support from the students. Willams read a letter to the students from Mason.

“It was more of an inspirational letter,” Williams said. In it, Mason encouraged his students to keep up the work and move ahead, Williams said.

According to Williams, Mason’s health condition is not life-threatening but was beginning to affect his ability to do his job.

“I respect him for his decision,”

Williams said. “He is the consummate professional.”

Farmington’s website has a job opening for a high school science teacher and states candidates must have qualifications as a licensed teacher for general science, life/earth science, chemistry, physical science, as well as principals of biomedical and human body systems.

Mason has been involved in the high school’s biomedical science program, implemented last year with a $79,000 grant from Project Lead the Way. He taught principles of biomedical science, the first course of the program, and human body systems, the secondyear course for the program.

Along with the medical science classes, Mason has taught anatomy, chemistry, AP chemistry and AP biology.

In addition to teaching science classes, Mason served as a sponsor for the high school’s Academic Competition in Education and Quiz Bowl teams and worked with the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Purifoy said he knows of only one teacher in the state certified for the bio-medical program and that person is already employed at a school district. Howard is already certified in science and will attend training to be certified for principles of biomedical science, Purifoy said.

Mason