Matt Macveigh is an extraordinary educator

(DALLAS, Texas – April 14, 2023) Matt Macveigh loves helping his community.
“The other day, we had a fundraiser,” Macveigh enthusiastically shares.
“We were trying to collect money for carnival rides, we needed a cotton candy machine, we’re doing the throw the ball, and you knock the cups over-- really just trying to raise money from anywhere we could!” Macveigh speaks while reenacting the series of activities with his hands.

His movements stop and he dramatically pauses to ask, “And you know what?”

“I think we raised a fair amount,” Macveigh answers with a neutral expression, but a rumble from his body gives away the joke.

Macveigh is no ordinary high school teacher. He is a role model, a cheerleader, and a master of dad jokes. His character makes him a remarkable educator beyond the classroom.

In a Zoom call from his office at Reedy High School, Macveigh excuses himself to check on his class.

“Hang on. It got really quiet in my classroom. I need to go make sure that they are still there,” Macveigh says.

Despite his office resembling a broadcast equipment room stacked with cameras and wires, he looks comfortable. His eyes beam with easiness and confidence as he talks about his life.

“It’s not Smokey the bear. You wouldn’t address him as Easter the Bunny or Santa the Claus. So, Smokey Bear, that’s his first and last name,” Macveigh states matter-of-factly when he talks about his hometown’s Capitan, New Mexico mascot.

“I’m still a fairly new teacher in the classroom, but I’ve been teaching people since I was 26 years old,” Macveigh refers to his time serving as an Army officer at the New Mexico Military Institute.

Macveigh earned his Bachelors of Arts in journalism at Baylor University and continued studying at Lamar University for his Master of Education. Today, Macveigh is expanding his education at the University of North Texas, on track for his Doctor of Philosophy in interdisciplinary information science.

Macveigh landed his first teaching gig at Allen High School (AHS) and taught print journalism at AHS for five years.

“It felt like a stab right to the heart,” former AHS yearbook Editor-in-Chief (EIC) Sam Swartzbaugh shares her feelings upon Macveigh’s departure from Allen.

Swartzbaugh met Macveigh her sophomore year.

“I immediately thought he was not only an amazing teacher but also a role model, someone who can teach and get his point across whilst being kind and understanding,” she says.

“I tried to coach more than anything,” Macveigh addresses his teaching style, “I want people to respect the craft of both teaching and journalism and understand that I am here to accomplish a mission. I didn’t pick this job just to bother people about dress code and being tardy.”

Reagan Valenta, former AHS yearbook EIC, knew Macveigh four out of the five years he was at Allen.

“[Macveigh] is the type of instructor to establish a strong connection with you and appeal to your individual learning styles. I think his personality is what makes him so unique as a teacher, and you can see that he deeply cares for every single one of his students. I’ve never experienced a safer place than in his classroom,” Valenta says.

High school journalism is complicated because it’s not a truly free press. Despite administration censorship and demanding audiences, what makes Macveigh’s experiences valuable is watching his students grow and graduate.

“I’m just so proud of [my students],” Macveigh’s voice suddenly cuts off and he quickly turns his face away from the screen. Macveigh sits still in a moment of reflection before speaking again.

“I look forward to seeing [my students] become successful because that’s one of the things we work towards,” Macveigh’s teary voice gathers.

Macveigh changes the topic and dives straight into giving advice to students in the journalism field.

“Get everything out of it that you can. Stay away from ChatGPT. Write. Write out of your brain, even if you think it’s terrible. Yeah, maybe it is terrible, but just write. And then get some constructive criticism,” he says.

The most remarkable thing about Macveigh is how he welcomes students and teaches lessons that apply beyond just journalism and classroom.

“My overall goal is to help students to learn how to be better community members, and then through the field of study of journalism, how to be a critical audience,” Macveigh wraps up.

Macveigh’s career as an educator is still beginning, but his genuinity and hospitality makes his classrooms a home.