Hello!

The 2026-2027 school year marks my 27th year teaching in public schools, including four years of credit for serving in the United States Navy. However, my experience in education and training began much earlier—back in 1993—in the private sector. I'm deeply passionate about teaching U.S. History, and I can confidently say my class is never boring... or your tax money back (lol)!

This year, I’ll be teaching U.S. History and Honors U.S. History to 11th-grade students. I also help coach the UIL Social Studies team, which earned first place at the district meet each year from 2023 through 2025. At the 2023 regional meet, our team brought home second-place medals, and at the 2024 and 2025 regional meets, we earned second runner-up honors.

This year’s UIL Social Studies topic is The Rebirth of a Nation: Society During the Gilded Age, 1865–1901. This period stretches from the year of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination to the year of President William McKinley’s assassination. This year’s selected book will also focus on the Gilded Age.

Orangefield High School consistently performs among the top schools in the state on the U.S. History STAAR test. The school set its record in 2023, when 100% of OHS students passed, 94% reached the Meets Grade Level standard, and 67% earned Masters Grade Level scores. In 2026, 119 students were tested, with 98% reaching Approaches Grade Level, 90% reaching Meets Grade Level, and 55% earning Masters Grade Level scores.

This will be the final year of the traditional end-of-course U.S. History STAAR test. A new testing system is scheduled to begin in 2028, dividing the year’s assessment into three sections rather than administering one comprehensive test at the end of the course. We shall see what that is like when the time comes!

A Little About Me

My family’s roots in Orange County go all the way back to the 1840s. My Block ancestors arrived in New Orleans from Prussia—part of modern-day Germany—in 1846. By 1848, they had settled in what is now Orange County, which was still part of Jefferson County at the time.

Before becoming a teacher, I worked as an education and training coordinator for several large companies in Houston, including IBM.

I also proudly served four years in the U.S. Navy during a pivotal time in world history—Desert Storm, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. I like to say I played a small part in ending the Cold War 😀. My Navy work focused on meteorology and climatology, where I collected data used to brief pilots, including the Blue Angels and NASA astronauts.

I earned my teaching degree from Texas State University (formerly Southwest Texas) in San Marcos, debt-free thanks to the G.I. Bill.

I’m genuinely excited for another great year at Orangefield High School and look forward to the journey ahead!

Sincerely,
Mr. Block