Oak Park School District teacher Owen Bondono has been named the 2020-2021 Michigan Teacher of the Year (MTOY). The Michigan Department of Education said Friday Bondono learned he was named Teacher of the Year during a virtual conference call meeting with all Regional Teachers of the Year. Bondono will be entering his sixth year of teaching English language arts in the fall at Oak Park High School 9th Grade Learning Community. State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice said the Michigan Teacher of the Year program is more than finding the best teacher, as that would be an impossible task. The Michigan Teacher of the Year is an important advocate and ally for teachers and students, Dr. Rice said.

Oak Park School District teacher Owen Bondono has been named the 2020-2021 Michigan Teacher of the Year (MTOY). The Michigan Department of Education said Friday Bondono learned he was named Teacher of the Year during a virtual conference call meeting with all Regional Teachers of the Year. He said its a challenge to keep his students motivated and engaged during the pandemic. RELATED: Heres what Michigan school districts have planned for the fall amid the pandemicI have been trying to give them tools and resources on how you move through a time like this in life, Bondono said. Bondono said he misses the one-on-one interaction, the jokes and other moments you can only get in a classroom, but not if that means sacrificing his students safety.