1992 Inductee Joseph York's philosophy of teaching is very simple. He believes that all students can learn and that teachers can make a difference by emphasizing the positive and rejecting the negative. He also believes that students have the right to be taught by someone who has faith in their abilities. In ever increasing numbers, York says, students view themselves as failures and their lives as without hope. As a teacher, he tells his students that an occasional setback is not the end, but actually a step closer to their goal.
Teachers are agents that keep hope alive.
He is currently Principal of the School at the West Tennessee High Security Facility, Tennessee Dept. Joseph earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Lambuth College and a Master of Arts degree from Memphis State University.