Michael is beginning his 21st year of teaching at Olson Middle School in Tabernacle, NJ. He is an alternate route teacher with experience in Preschool, First, Second, Third and Fifth Grades. In 2008 he acquired his first Masters Degree in Educational Technology from New Jersey City University and in 2020 his 2nd Masters Degree in Teacher Leadership at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. In 2011 Michael was the Ocean County New Jersey Teacher of the Year and went on to be a finalist for the NJ State Teacher of the Year. In 2020 he was the Burlington County New Jersey Teacher of the Year and again a Finalist for NJ State Teacher of the Year. In 2012 he was selected as an America Achieves National Teacher Fellow and a Hope Street National Fellow. Michael achieved National Board Professional Teacher Certification as an Early Childhood Generalist. When his community was devastated by Hurricane Sandy, he co-founded S.T.A.R.T. ( Stafford Teachers And Residents Together), a grassroots organization that has helped over 800 homeowners save more than 3 million dollars in clean up costs. For this work Michael was awarded the 2013 Stafford Township Community Steward Award and was recognized by NJ Governor Chris Christie as a positive Agent of Change. He was also named the 2013 Humanitarian of the Year by the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation. Continuing his involvement in his community he was the Vice President and President of Alliance of a Living Ocean, ALO, for over 7 years.He has served the NJ Department of Education as a participant on the NJ Teacher Advisory Panel, NJTAP as well as a member of the State Program Authorization Council.In 2018 Michael was a recipient of the Presidential Award of Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching (PAEMST). In 2020 he was selected as an NEA Global Teacher Fellow and a 2020 Global Teacher Prize Top 50 Finalist, one of just 5 from the United States.