When Flowing Wells Junior High School choir and drama teacher José "Chach" Snook heard that he was up for a state Teacher of the Year award, he considered it more of a victory for his subject area, fine arts, than a personal honor.
"Just to be a teacher of fine arts and to be considered" is an honor, Snook said. "A lot of times there's so much focus on core classes - science, math and English. There are other important subjects."
Snook - whose nickname "Chach" is short for "muchacho" - brought an impressive background when he was hired by the school in 2006.
Living as a singer and actor in New York for several years, he was part of a national tour of the show "Forever Plaid," as well as a member of the a capella group "Pieces of 8." Snook is married to Jodi Darling and has two children, Julia, 8, and Gabriel, 5.
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He shares his passion for the arts with his students, with the mantra "the more the merrier."
"I'm probably one of the only teachers on campus, or the state, who loves to have a class size over 30," said Snook, who has one class with 38 students and another with 36. "It's exciting to have all those kids engaged, singing and also learning."
Snook, 37, is one of five finalists for the Arizona Educational Foundation's Teacher of the Year award.
The winner will be announced in November.
As a nominee, Snook was named as one of the 2013 Ambassadors of Excellence.
Becky Cavazos, a fourth-grade teacher at Borton Magnet School in the Tucson Unified School District, and Katrina Herrera, a special-education math teacher at Sierra Middle School in the Sunnyside Unified School District, are also up for the award, as are two teachers from the Phoenix area.
Flowing Wells Junior High School Principal Peter Wells praised Snook.
"Mr. Snook is truly an inspiration to others," Wells said. "He accepts all children for who they are and finds that special something to motivate them. He has a real ability to connect with people. He's a talented singer and always finds ways to help kids be successful in life."
Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
