Mountain Ridge High School is filled with many wonderful teachers. Spanning from gym class to AP Physics, Ridge has an abundance of educators willing to put the time and effort into their classes to get the most out of their students. That’s why Mountain Ridge has been given strong scholarly grades and has benefited from high test scores for years. It’s remarkable how many people need to come together to make sure every one of the 2,700 students can get the education they deserve. One of these helpful teachers would be Mr. Francisco Ortiz.

I had the chance to ask him a few questions regarding his career, his classroom philosophies, and how he spends his time outside of campus. Mr. Ortiz has taught marketing for about 10 years. He got into the subject when he was in telecommunications, where he was given the opportunity to become the marketing manager for his call center, and not long after, he worked as a product manager. This is where his love of marketing began. It’s a cool story for why he became a teacher. His father was a teacher, so he always respected teachers and the profession. At Interact in California, he was given the opportunity to work with students as an advisor. He states, “When some people I was working with in an improv and stand-up comedy group came to me and said the school they worked at needed a marketing teacher, I felt I would be a good teacher and went for the position.”

After becoming a teacher, he gained the ability to govern his classroom. He learned this from his time at a CTE teacher bootcamp, as well as from the help and leadership of many teachers. The thing that I find remarkable about teaching is the drive and willingness teachers have to continue working in the ways they do. He lists one of his strengths as “my ability to relate and connect with students.” I feel this makes sense, and so do others I’ve talked to. A friend of mine named Owen said he loved the “welcoming nature of the classroom” and “positive environment.” However, he mentioned his weakness was when students tend to check
out, he follows. But in order for anyone to get better at anything, they need time, work, and effort. Another friend, a sophomore named Dillon, thought it was admirable that Mr. Ortiz does all this traveling and works with DECA here at Mountain Ridge.

Mr. Ortiz stated that “Each student has a story and knowing that story can open volumes into who they are.” This is a big part of what he believes in when he teaches. It’s part of his teaching philosophy that shines through in his classroom. He’s able to deliver his work in a way that captivates students and makes sure that each student finds their value and learns what they need to learn in his marketing classrooms. Overall, Mr. Ortiz is a wonderful teacher on campus and displays the fun that can be found at school.