Joe Ruffolo is a 2019-20 Teach Plus Illinois ILSTOY Teaching Policy Fellow and a 2020 Illinois Teacher of the Year Finalist. Joe teaches Advanced Placement Physics 1 & 2 at West Leyden High School, where he also serves as the student activities director, student council sponsor, and foreign exchange coordinator. He has been part of the school improvement team, operational advisory, and curriculum advisory committees. Joe has taught graduate school courses at both Loyola University in Chicago and the University of Illinois and served on the board of education for Barrington School District 220 from 2011 – 2019. He won the Fern Award for Teaching three times in District 212 and has served four terms as the President of the West Suburban Conference Directors of Student Activities. Joe received his BA in Physics from Illinois Wesleyan University, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia, and his Type 75 certification and PhD in Administration and Supervision from Loyola University in Chicago.
