VIDEO: Bringing passion and rigor to the classroom in Peoria

By Philip Haldiman
Mail | X: @PhilipHaldiman

Megan Cox is Peoria Unified through and through.

She attended elementary school and graduated from high school in the district. After getting her teaching degree she came back to the district and has taught eighth-grade at Coyote Hills Elementary School since 2016.

She says she has been working at PUSD her entire teaching career and has loved every minute of it.

Cox consistently produces high achieving math students, and since her first year of teaching, her students have made some of the highest growth and proficiency scores in the district.

She brings passion and rigor to the classroom and it shows in her students.

“I push my students to be critical thinkers and to always put their best effort forward,” she said. “I try to develop young mathematicians, but more importantly, decent and kind young adults.”

For her service to the Peoria Unified community, Cox has been named a Peoria Independent Hometown Hero in the educator category.

The Hometown Heroes Awards are a celebration of individuals who live or teach in the city, and Peoria businesses for their achievements and distinguished contributions to the community and beyond.

Cox will be honored at an awards luncheon this month. The third annual Hometown Heroes luncheon will honor those nominated in 2023.

In partnership with the city of Peoria, Cox has been interviewed by the city and aired on Channel 11.

Coyote Hills Elementary School Principal Julie Abbott said Cox is truly an asset to the Peoria Unified community.

Abbott said Cox’s character, leadership and commitment to the success of her math students make her an exceptional teacher on campus, and she is a substantial part of why Coyote Hills is a great place for kids.

Her impact on our community is without question, Abbott said.

“For Megan, the formula is simple: know your students, have high expectations, teach, reteach, and review,” Abbott said. “Prior to the school year, Megan has already looked at the data for her incoming students. With that information, she creates a plan that she implements on the first day of school. Megan teaches at a rigorous pace expecting all students to learn at high levels. She continually progress monitors, sets learning goals with students, and spirals her lessons throughout the school year. Learning is not an option in her classroom and upon completion of her class, Mrs. Cox’s students are exceedingly prepared for high school algebra.”

Get to know Cox more here.

Philip Haldiman
Senior News Editor | Peoria

phaldiman@iniusa.org

Meet Philip
Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.

Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.

Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater. 

Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.

Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.