Schultz Squared: The Dynamic Teaching Duo

BY NOAH CASTAGNA

Any students who have dabbled in computer science or challenged themselves with upper-level math will probably recognize the friendly faces of the Schultz brothers.

“The Schultz brothers are both very personable and easy to talk to,” CCHS Junior and student of both Darryl and David Schultz Raquel Gonzalez said. “They don’t give off the ‘don’t talk to me’ vibes and they make it very easy to just go up to them and ask them how they’re doing, or how their day has been.”

The duo united when David Schultz started teaching at Cooper 6 years ago; the Schultz brothers have been forging friendships with their students, peers, and even family members ever since.

“At first I thought [them teaching here] would limit my enjoyment at Cooper,” son of David Schultz and CCHS Senior Kenny Schultz chuckled. “But it has turned out to be a positive thing, having two people around that I can go to at any time when I need a high-five.”

While David and Darryl Schultz bring a warm sensibility to their classrooms, they also bring a wide scope of experience. Darryl Schultz taught at Miramar High School before coming over to Cooper under Principal Rogers. He currently teaches an array of mathematics, including Algebra II, Precalculus, and AP Calculus. Darryl also sponsors Cooper City High’s Mu Alpha Theta (ΜΑΘ), where students assist each other in math and prepare for annual mathematics competitions with other schools.

“Cooper City High is a great school,” Darryl Schultz said. “It’s very open and receptive and there are a lot of great students here.”

David Schultz spent over 20 years working for German engineering company Siemens AG before he was forced to make a tough decision; when Siemens merged with Nokia, they moved their base of operations states away from the rest of his family.

“I was given the choice between family and career and I decided family was more important,” David Schultz said.

So, David Schultz took up teaching at his brother’s recommendation, beginning his foray with math. Financial constraints resulted in David being laid off the following year, but two years later he was back, this time teaching Chemistry. He then went on to introduce the courses Exploring Computer Science, AP Computer Science A, as well as Robotics and AP Computer Science Principles (which both made their debut for the current 2016-2017 school year) to Cooper City High, which have allowed students to learn about the inner workings of computer programming and engineering in a hands-on, experiment-based lab environment. David also sponsors both the Technology Club (which encapsulates aspects of computer science and engineering) and Cooper City High School’s School Duel team, which beat out Suncoast High’s team to take home the win of the 2016 season.

“We don’t interact that much [at school] and when we were young we didn’t get along,” Darryl Schultz said. “But we’re closer now and I think he’s someone who wants to teach pretty badly.”

Both David and Darryl Schultz have left a lasting impact on Cooper City High School, be it through the wide-ranging subjects they teach, the multiple clubs they sponsor, or the students’ lives they’ve touched. Darryl Schultz, however, feels he can’t really take all the credit.

“We’ve got a good staff, but I really maintain that we’re successful due to the family values and the students in our community. They’re hard workers and they strive for success.”