Angie Reinoehl/MDN Nick Cavallo stands in a classroom at Central Campus High School.Starting next year, the driver education program will be changed to a summer-only course.
Nick Cavallo, a driver education teacher at Central Campus High School, was recently named North Dakota Driver Education Teacher of the Year by the North Dakota Driver Traffic Safety Education Association (NDDTSEA).
NDDTSEA is an organization of professional drivers and road safety educators that promotes the development of safe driving habits in teen drivers.
Mr. Cavallo is a Minot native and began teaching at Central Campus in 2013. Initially he was looking for a job in history education, but he was approached and asked if he was interested in teaching driver education. He accepted, and once he got the training he needed for driver's education, he said he loved it.
“The community should be proud of the programs we have at Minot Public. We have the best programs that are financially viable or affordable for parents.” Cavallo said.
The driver education course is aimed at people aged 14 and over and is a four-step program consisting of simulation driving, classroom training, range driving, and public road driving. Cavallo said Minot Public Schools' program is the only one like it in the area, and its unique feature is the driving range behind Jim Hill Middle School.
The driver education program, which currently enrolls approximately 300 students per year, will transition to a summer-only program starting next school year. Cavallo said that factor is the distance between the new high school, which opens in August, and the golf driving range behind Gym Hill. He said driving back and forth between the two locations would waste too much school time. Cavallo will transition into a history education position during the school year and will continue teaching driver education in the summer.
Mr. Cavello was nominated for Driver Education Teacher of the Year for his travels throughout the region and assistance with other school programs. He teaches summer driver education courses at Maxx, Velva and Underwood and will return to Maxx this summer to serve as an assistant.
“It's nice to be recognized at the state level, especially when it's hard work. We have 30 kids in the summer, so we have to do six hours per production. 180 hours with kids on board. Spending time in a car is a lot of work. I love being able to spend time with my students and see them grow. Every child, no matter who they are, loves being in a car. I always feel a little bit of anxiety when I ride, but it's great to see it go away as I recover over time. It feels good.” Cavallo said.
