Paly journalism adviser Paul Kandell has been named the 2009 National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year by the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund in a large part for his work in advising the staffs of Paly publications Verde and The Paly Voice.

Kandell, who received the award on Sept. 11, has been teaching English and journalism for 13 years and is involved in journalism on both a local and national scale. Kandell plays an important role in designing plans for Paly’s future media arts building, and serves as a board member of the Journalism Education Association of Northern California and a member of the Advisory Council Steering Committee for the Student Press Law Center.

“Paul [Kandell] joins a long line of dedicated and talented advisers who have been honored as our journalism teacher of the year,” said Richard S. Holden, executive director of the Fund, in a press release on Monday.

According to Holden, Kandell also “played a large role in working with the University of California to ensure journalism courses were treated with the respect they deserve.” Additionally, Kandell developed a summer journalism program with the purpose of introducing Paly’s journalism classes and publications to students living in East Palo Alto.

“I work with amazing people who are the best at what they do,” Kandell said. “I feel lucky and I’m delighted to be serving as Teacher of the Year. I realize I am part of a team. Part of my year is going to share with my peers at other schools across the country the vision of that team and how it works.”