Would-be college professor opts for high school at Royal City

ROYAL CITY - Eric Carlson is a science teacher at Royal High School, but neither the students nor the staff call him Mister.

They call him Doctor.

Carlson is that rare individual who holds a doctorate degree and teaches at the high school level. He was qualified to teach at the university level before he earned public school certification.

Carlson, 32, has had quite a road getting here. He spent 12 years preparing, earning a bachelor of science at Brigham Young University and a PhD in chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley.

Carlson liked what he saw the professors doing at BYU and set a course toward being a college educator. But at Cal-Berkeley, he didn't like what professors were doing and started to change his mind.

"Professors don't do a lot of teaching and, when they do teach, they don't get to know the students," Carlson said.

There can be no intimacy in most settings. There are hundreds, sometimes more than 1,000 students in a single class.

"Here I can help students develop personal interests, in science or in whatever they choose," Carlson said.

Carlson started his higher education at BYU in 1997, attending one semester. He then took two years off to serve a mission in Mexico, where he became fluent in Spanish.

"It helps a lot," he said. "I don't really need it with the students, but it really helps with the parents."

After his return from Mexico, Carlson married his wife Polly, and the two continued schooling together. Both had scholarships and both worked.

Carlson pruned shrubs one summer on the BYU campus. Now everywhere he goes he sees shrubs that need pruning and sometimes gets the urge to grab a pruner and go to work.

Bachelor's in hand, and with a dream to be a professor, Carlson headed off to Cal Berkeley. He took two mandatory classes each of the first two semesters and otherwise spent six years researching and writing his doctoral thesis.

During that time, Carlson decided he wanted to teach high school, after all. He and Holly wanted to return to Washington. So they needed a place where Carlson could earn state certification.

Carlson chose Heritage University in Toppenish, and the Carlsons moved into a rental home in Granger. While Carlson studied and taught as an emergency sub at Granger, Zillah and Grandview, Holly substituted at Toppenish and Granger. And Carlson taught a chemistry class at Heritage.

With the help of Educational Services District 105, Carlson earned his certification.

The Carlsons chose Royal City because it is a small town. And it's easy for them to cross the mountains for a weekend back in the old home town of Woodinville.

Carlson enjoyed the first year, and he's already doing things to prepare for next year. He's asking friends and family to help by participating in a Facebook contest that could mean $2,500 toward science supplies.

If you'd like to help, go to Facebook, go to Science Worx, click "like", click "videos", click "propane bubble demo", and click "like."

At last check of the six competing videos, Carlson's had 450 points on June 10. The second-place video had 402.

Carlson teaches three sections of physical (general) science, two sections of chemistry for juniors and seniors and one class of physics for seniors.