Magister Chang is Department Chair and Upper School Coordinator at Flint High School in Oakton, VA. He teaches a range of Latin from beginning to AP, managing a department of 5 FT teachers. Very active in the Virginia JCL, Magister Chang expressed his deep regret that he could not be present today to receive his award; he was hosting and organizing the State finals for Certamen. References spoke to Magister Chang's devotion to his students, to his active mentoring, and to his many service duties within the school and with JCL, as well as his incorporation of multiple strategies and technologies for teaching. Magister Chang is particularly adept at leading his students to make connections between their subject and the "real world". One administrator wrote, "You haven't lived until you've witnessed [Chang] running about the room leading his students in conjugation or declension memorization to full-blown, multi-stanza songs he has written to the tunes of Broadway musicals, Brittney Spears, hip-hop, rap or the Little Mermaid. At first they looked at him as if he'd lost his mind; but Howard undaunted kept singing until they all joined in." A former student wrote, "His classes, his guidance and his encouragement have changed my life for the better." What higher accolade could a teacher receive? For these reasons and many more unmentioned, from a very distinguished portfolio, I am pleased on behalf of the committee to award Magister Howard Chang this year's Kraft Award for Excellence in Teaching.