Endicott teacher Michael Anderson accepts Pasco teaching job

Gazette intern reporter

Mike Anderson, Endicott/St. John teacher for 23 years, will be teaching second grade at Whittier Elementary School in Pasco this fall. He will continue to live in Endicott, but will be staying in Pasco to teach during the week, and return home to Endicott and his family on the weekends.

Anderson began his teaching career in California, where he taught for five years before moving to Washington state to certify in elementary education. His years at Endicott/St. John spanned kindergarten to 12th grade in subjects such as social studies and Spanish.

“I have been so lucky to teach in a community like Endicott, with small classes, supportive families and great administrators,” said Anderson. “But I was drawing an end to a career and needed a new challenge.”

“In Endicott, it was a small school and I've worn a lot of different hats,” said Anderson.

With those different hats comes his earned certifications in elementary education, kindergarten through eighth grade, secondary education and eighth through 12th grade social studies and English.

He also has an emergency certification in Spanish, which qualifies him to teach the language.

“There is such a need in Pasco, where the community is poor and has a high immigrant population,” said Anderson. “It's a challenge and an opportunity I wanted to take.”

Anderson's life has been full of taking opportunities, from being a public relations officer in the United States Navy, to being a self-published author.

Anderson wrote the novel, “Jubilee: The Day Everyone was Free.” The book is written about the country's 2012 political and economic crisis of recession, as well as out-of-control spending and ideology driven politics. The storyline is inspired by the biblical and Hebrew basis of the seventh year, or the sabbatical year, where every remission year, every creditor will settle any debt owed by family or friends. The plot revolves around an apparent terrorist plot to push the already failing U.S. economy over the edge and into economic ruin.

In addition, Anderson has written a teacher's manual titled, “Helping Your 1st Grader become a Better Reader.” After writing this manual, Anderson traveled around the U.S. speaking to teachers about how to help their first graders succeed.

He earned his bachelor's degree in elementary education by starting at Brigham Young University for two years, moving to Washington State University for one year, splitting one year between Eastern Washington University and Spokane Falls Community College and finally completing his degree at Gonzaga University. Anderson earned his Master's degree from EWU.

Anderson is thankful for his time in Endicott and is looking forward to what the community of Pasco has in store for him.

“Without this community, my strong administrators and supportive families, my time here would have been very different.”