"MADMAC" is two teachers with a combined 35 years of teaching experience as well as a curricular approach to English and social science instruction.  As a team and program, MADMAC began in 1995 at the request of their principal, Brian Smith at Mt. Miguel high school.  Brian and the counseling staff noted that there was a growing population of students who were severely underperforming in English as well as social science.  The first class had 78 students and they were assigned to "0" period which started at 6:45 am.  By years end, 80% of the students passed the ESL exit exam.  With this encouragement MADMAC worked often under the guidance of Dr. Maria Montano Harmon of Cal State Fullerton, an important researcher and educator in the area of academic language acquisition and second language learning.  In the second year of MADMAC the class average for reading comprehension rose over 2 and a half grade levels - a skill leap of which MADMAC is quite proud especially with a population of students so disengaged and discouraged with the formal academic setting.

The media has taken notice of MADMAC's successes, most notably The Californian and The San Diego Union.  MADMAC now travels across several western states conducting workshops in English and social science instruction .




William MADigan has taught high school English and AVID for 18 years.  He holds a Masters degree in Humanities.  For the last 3 years, MADigan has been a PAR mentor teacher as well as a BTSA coach for beginning teachers.  In addition, MAD has been a staff development instructor for the AVID National Summer Institute in San Diego for the last seven years, and continues to teach ELD AVID strategies several times throughout the year in various western states.  At his first high school, Mt. Miguel, MADigan and MACfarland developed MADMAC for low performing students and those students making the transition out of ESL.  Before leaving Mt. Miguel High school, MAD developed the MADMACADEMY that aimed at students in the very lowest performance categories.  MADigan has won the Golden Apple award at both the schools he has served.  Also, MADigan is an adjunct professor in the Education department at Alliant International University in San Diego, California.
 

Jorge MACfarland has been a teacher of Spanish and art for the last 11 years.  MACfarland has a BCLAD and Spanish with an art minor credential which allows him to teach English language development as well as Spanish and art.  As a student teacher he was awarded the Student Teacher of the Year award from the USIU credentialing department.  He started his teaching career at the Sweetwater district in south San Diego county before settling in the Grossmont High school Distrct.  He has also been an adjunct professor at United States International University for 6 years in the Education department.  He is the recipient of the Golden Apple award at both the schools he has practiced his craft of teaching (Mt. Miguel and Steele Canyon).  He served as Bilingual Director and Coordinator at Mt. Miguel for two years and also developed the MADMAC program along with Bill MADigan