Tony Torio is a passionate, affable, highly effective, student-centered teacher who encourages students to think critically and approach problem-solving from a variety of ways. Students love his energy and enthusiasm. Parents appreciate his genuine concern for our students’ well-being. His colleagues respect him for his dedication, insight and professionalism.

Mr. Torio has taken the Ottawa Hills High School Quiz Bowl Team to National’s six times. He and his colleagues have earned the Governor’s Award for STEM education six years in a row. He frequently works with students on the chess team and helped students start a barbershop quarter. He created the AP Statistics course, a very popular elective among students. Ottawa Hills High School was given all A’s on the state report card and was ranked No. 1 in Ohio and No. 45 in the country by Newsweek magazine. Obviously, Mr. Torio has played a huge role in our accomplishments.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, education and music from the University of Toledo and a master’s degree in mathematics and English. Mr. Torio currently teaches  Algebra II, Honors Algebra II, AP Statistics, and college Algebra. He is the advisor for the Quiz Bowl Team.

“Tony Torio is an integral part of our faculty and we are fortunate to have him. He has a broad range of interests and talents, a ‘renaissance man’ of sorts, that make him an exceptional educator and make his classroom an engaging place to be,” said Ben McMurray, principal.

“Mr. Torio is a brilliant teacher who embodies what it means to be thoroughly engaged with the vast variety of knowledge that one can possess. He inspires his students to learn as much as possible about the things they are passionate about,” said Will Rand, sophomore student.

“He doesn’t just teach his students the one particular subject of the class, but makes a lot of interdisciplinary connections to other fields so kids have a bigger picture of what they’re learning. He is an amazing teacher. He inspires his students to reach above and beyond what they truly think they can do. He is passionate about teaching and it is obvious. He is truly an asset to our school district,” said Brad and Allison Johnson, parents.

— Information is compiled for The Blade by the Educational Service Center of Lake Erie West.

First Published May 23, 2016, 4:00 a.m.