Investing in Student Success Pays Dividends for Business Education Teacher

As the morning sunlight pours through the tall windows of an East High School classroom, a bulletin board on the back wall seemingly glows, spotlighting more than a dozen handwritten thank-you notes.

“Dear Dr. Small, Your class taught me what to expect in the real world once I turn into an adult.”

“You’re an inspiring person and I strive to be as educated as you.”

“Thank you for teaching us to never give up.”

“It’s clear you have built strong relationships with students. It was great to see them all so engaged in the lesson.”

For the past four years, Dr. André Small has been a business education teacher at East High, teaching students everything from analyzing paychecks to exploring stock prices and discovering career paths. Now a staple in the school community, it’s difficult to imagine that Dr. Small almost didn’t become a teacher at all. 

In 2020, Small was reaching almost 30 years of working in business management, had completed a doctorate in leadership for the advancement of learning and service and was considering lecturing in universities when he decided to capitalize on a new opportunity: become a public high school teacher.

While jumping into a whole new career may seem risky to some, when he learned of the nationwide teacher shortage amid the COVID pandemic, he knew wanted to help. Since then, Small has been a business education teacher at East High School.

“I could take that pay cut and go into the classroom and sort of gift [students] with some of my lived experiences and my knowledge,” Small said. “And that's how I got here. And it's been gratifying and rewarding ever since.”

Never having access to financial education in school or community growing up, Small made it his own mission to seek out everything about the topic he could. Now, he wants to share it with the next generation.

“I get to provide students with the gift of hindsight, and give them some of the things that I've learned during my journey,” he said. “I get to share that with our young future leaders. I think that's most gratifying for me, just to see their faces light up when sharing information on what's going to happen post high school.”

Educating anyone on personal finance can be difficult, let alone a classroom of teenagers, who often think they do not have to consider finances until adulthood. With social media platforms full of credible and questionable financial information students can access, Small knows he has to maintain a teaching style that will keep students engaged in his lessons.

“I know that there's a lot of information out there,” Small said. “How can I present that and give that to them without overwhelming them? You can't just talk at them, so I usually try to lecture for only about 10 minutes. Take a break, give an activity, have some conversation. Maybe there's a TED talk or video that I'll play and we'll spark discussion.” 

After only about a month in Small’s class, East High junior Jonah Makwinja said he feels like he’s being set up for success. The personal finance class has helped him discover his interest in a career as a physical therapist, and Small has encouraged him to start planning his senior year and consider classes at Madison College.

“Dr. Small is so inclusive,” Makwinja said. “He will always come over to me and talk to me about what I’m interested in. Or if a topic comes up that he knows a student likes, he will discuss that, and I think that’s really cool.”

Engaging students in personal finance is increasingly important; just last year, Wisconsin Act 60 was signed into law, making a half credit of financial literacy a graduation requirement. While MMSD already had a similar requirement in place, having teachers like Small who can spark students’ interest in the topic are crucial. 

In addition to his classes, Small is an adviser for the school’s Investment Club, where the group holds real shares in companies like Microsoft, Boeing, Nvidia and more. While not every student will hold as deep of a passion for the stock market, Small hopes students take away a bigger lesson – to always invest in the next generation.

“We're able to share with our young people what will await them,” he said. “I think that's invaluable. Just reach one, teach one,. If I can give this information to them to help them get started in the right direction, then, I've done my job.”

Did you know you play a vital role in supporting our students to succeed and help staff thrive? This fall, MMSD is asking taxpayers to approve two referendum questions. The proposed operational referendum, totaling $100 million over four years, would help teachers like Dr. Small continue to inspire and educate students. It enables MMSD to offer competitive salaries and benefits, including tackling the escalating costs of healthcare premiums that have outpaced standard increases, so teachers and students can not just sustain, but thrive.