Bio
A former civil engineer and high school teacher in the Philippines, Maria Dela Cruz was recruited to teach math by the NYC DOE in 2003. A brilliant teacher, she is recognized for her creativity and her ability to take students far beyond what they think they are capable of doing. A former students says, “I plan to be a teacher like Ms. Dela Cruz who can teach beyond an exam and get students to see math at its conceptual core. Calculus III in college was easy compared to the work we did in Ms. Dela Cruz’s class.” Another former student who is now getting his M.A. in Structural Engineering adds, “Ms. Dela Cruz is the heart and soul of Newtown High School. She is a dynamic figure who can turn even the most skeptical student into a math lover.”
