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Aeronautics Teacher Deemed An Inspiration

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By DEREK MAUL

Tribune correspondent

Published: February 18, 2009

Brandon resident and Middleton High School teacher Richard Crawford has been selected by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics to receive the prestigious Educator Achievement Award.

The honor, granted biannually to seven educators worldwide, recognizes Crawford for inspirational leadership in the classroom, gaining the academy designation for Middleton's aeronautics program and peer education for fellow teachers.

The institute announced the award in early December and will present it at a black-tie gala in May in Washington, where recipients from around the globe will be honored.

Crawford's program draws students from across Hillsborough County to Middleton. Many are attracted by innovative aeronautics projects such as this year's student-made rocket, which is projected to break the sound barrier this semester.

"We get into rocketry, but we're also studying planetary orbits and mechanics," Crawford said. "I can't spend a whole lot of time in any one area. We like to pique their interest. The program is like pre-aeronautical engineering."

Students also build electric go-carts and design scale-model airplanes that fly 90 mph.

Lessons cover the entire history of flight.

"We start off at Icarus from Greek mythology and the wings of wax, then cover hot-air balloons, blimps, hang gliders, fixed wings, larger planes and eventually space projects," he said. "Some rockets are their own design; some are kits.

"Our goal is to let them know engineering is not just science and math - it's a practical application," Crawford said. "This is a good vocational track. The baby-boomers are retiring, and there's going to be a massive opening in the job market in the aerospace industry."

Crawford thinks America is on the cusp of the same kind of crisis that precipitated mammoth efforts in science after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957.

"In 2007, this country graduated 65,000 engineers," he said. "India graduated 180,000, and China produced 330,000. Now we're going to start playing catch-up, and my job is to show kids this is a fun place to go."

Crawford was born in Glendale, Calif., where his father worked on the famous Spruce Goose prototype transport plane with the legendary Howard Hughes. Crawford's mother later remarried an Air Force pilot, who raised him and ignited his passion for aeronautics at age 10 by taking him flying in a small plane.

The family lived in South Carolina, Florida and Chicago, and Crawford graduated from high school in Bourne, Mass.

After earning his bachelor's degree and secondary teacher certification, he served as an infantry officer with the Army in Germany and Korea.

"I wanted to coach high school football," he said. "I worked in Corsicana and Iowa Park Texas for a few years, then moved to Tampa to start my life over in 1980."

Starting over involved several years in retail management with Radio Shack before earning his certification in social studies and finding work with the Hillsborough County School District in 1986. He taught at Middleton Junior High, now Ferrell Middle School, as well as Tampa Bay Tech, Greco Junior High and King High schools.

"Then I heard stories about the county setting up Middleton as a magnet school," he said. "The school was open from 1934 to 1971, then was reborn in 2002. I took classes, added industrial arts/technology education, and have been here since the place opened."

Crawford can't say enough about Middleton's program.

"We're a magnet for math, science and technology. Last year, our math league team was No. 7 in the nation," he said. "Now we've gained academy status recognition by National Coalition of Career Academies.

"Our administration, with Principal Carl C. Green, is very supportive and allows us to be creative and innovative," he said.

Notification of his international award was a signature moment in his career.

"My feet didn't touch the ground for two weeks," he said.

Crawford and his wife, Tampa native Elizabeth McGovern Crawford, have lived in Brandon for seven years.

MEET RICHARD CRAWFORD
Lead teacher and project manager, Academy of Aeronautics at Middleton High School, Tampa

BORN: Glendale, Calif., 1944

HIGH SCHOOL: Bourne High School; Bourne, Mass.; 1961

HIGHER EDUCATION: Bachelor of arts, Midwestern State University, Wichita, Texas,1969; master's in education administration and supervision, University of Phoenix, 2007

MOVED TO FLORIDA: 1980

MARRIED: Elizabeth McGovern, 1982

CONTACT: (813) 233-3360; www.MAcubed.aero

NOTABLE QUOTE: "Chuck Yeager is the man."

Derek Maul can be reached at derekmaul@gmail.com.

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