Michael Houston is a mathematics teacher at Harding High School in the St. Paul Public Schools, where he teaches Algebra 2 and accelerated geometry. Houston is a proud first-generation college graduate, earning a Bachelor of Arts in secondary education from Concordia University in St. Paul. Raised in a single-parent household — with the help of his beloved grandparents — Houston continued to exceed expectations by earning his Master of Education from Hamline University in 2011.

Houston’s 20-year career at Harding includes 18 years as a football coach — 10 as head coach. A professional point of pride for Houston is becoming an adjunct professor at his alma mater. For six years, Houston has taught both online and face-to-face math classes to prospective elementary teachers. Houston also takes great pride in the respect he has earned from his colleagues at Harding, where he is the mathematics department chair, a learning team facilitator and union steward.

He was humbled when colleagues voted him teacher of the year at Harding in 2016, which led him to being nominated and becoming a finalist for Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 2017.  His teaching philosophy has always been centered upon creating classroom community and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the persistent inequities and ongoing trauma that are pervasive in the communities in which he serves, he has incorporated financial literacy in mathematics to help close the wealth and achievement gap.