Welcome to MAEN’s first podcast episode!!  We’re glad to have you with us.  In this episode, we meet Mark Garascia from the PAWS Academy in the Hancock Place School District in St. Louis County.  Mark was the 2019 recipient of the Regional Teacher of the Year Award.  In the same year, Mark earned the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award.  

PAWS stands for Providing Alternative Ways to Succeed and in this inaugural MAEN podcast episode, we will hear about Mark’s journey to build a successful alternative school program for the Hancock Place School District and how he came to win those distinguished awards.  

Mark Garascia 
Hancock Place High School 
Alternative Education & Credit Recovery Teacher 
Hancock FC/WFC Varsity Assistant Coach 
314-544-1300 x178 
mgarascia@hancock.k12.mo.us 
@MGarasciaHPHS

Mark and the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award: Left to Right – Dr. Shelly Vogler, Mark Garascia, Maura Garascia

Part of the PAWS classroom: