Dr. Burt Saxon

Senator Lieberman honored Dr. Burt Saxon, a veteran teacher with 34 years of teaching experience, New Haven Teacher of the Year, and 2005 Connecticut Teacher of the Year, as one of "Connecticut's Best."

Dr. Saxon, who has taught honor students at James Hillhouse High School since 1980 and has taught in the district since 1970, has seen many graduate high school, attend college and go on to great success. They include 20 who have become attorneys and more than 60 who came back to New Haven Public Schools to teach.

"The greatest rewards I have received have been visits from former students saying, 'You made a difference'," Dr. Saxon said.

Dr. Saxon teaches courses in multiculturalism, Advanced Placement Psychology and Advanced Placement U.S. History at James Hillhouse High School. He has taught part-time at Yale University, the University of New Haven and Southern Connecticut State University and has presented workshops across the region and in New York. He co-chaired the Hillhouse accreditation committee in 1996 and has published numerous articles on teaching and education, including in the Harvard Educational Review and Education Week.

Dr. Saxon is known for his interactive teaching style, in which he uses debates, films, small group discussions and role playing to keep his teaching informative and stimulating. Even more so, he is known for going the extra mile with students and encouraging them both to go on to college. Students come to his classroom during lunch hour to play chess and to converse about their hopes and dreams. Saxon is a mentor to young people and has helped countless students gain entrance into college.

"A good mentor is a backup parent and a backup guidance counselor," Dr. Saxon said his in Connecticut Teacher of the Year application. "A good mentor keeps in touch with other adults in each student's support network. I am proud of all of my students as long as they are solid citizens making this world a better place."