/ Modified oct 25, 2019 10:14 a.m.

Desert View teacher wins $100,000 excellence award from tool company

Cesar Gutierrez, a precision manufacturing teacher, is one of three winners nationwide of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools prize.

Harbor Freight teacher award Cesar Gutierrez, right, receives the Harbor Freight Tools For Schools award for teacher excellence.
Duncan Moon/AZPM

A Desert View High School teacher has won $100,000 dollars as for teaching excellence in the national Harbor Freight Tools for Schools prize. Cesar Gutierrez, who teaches precision manufacturing at Desert View, was one of only three teachers nationwide selected for the honor.

More than 750 teachers applied for the Harbor Freight prize. The award is given annually to support excellence in skilled trades education in public high schools across the country. Danny Corwin, the executive director for tools for schools, says Gutierrez's passion and commitment to his students made him stand out, but it was his track record that sealed it for him.

"One-hundred percent of his students graduate from high school, and his students earn up to 25 college credits, nearly a full year, while still at Desert View High School," Corwin says

The award was a surprise for Gutierrez. When he was summoned to the gym Thursday morning by the principal, his family and all of the Desert View students were waiting for him, and he was presented with a check for $100,000. Gutierrez gave all the credit to his students.

"Every single one of my students who stays after school, you guys are here all the time. Thank you for pushing me to where I have to go," Gutierrez said.

Desert View High School gets $70,000 of the prize money, but $30,000 is for Gutierrez to use in any way he wants.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona