Email: [email protected]
Website: Viskanta Teach
Study Hall and Tutoring Hours: Mondays after school (from 3:15 pm to 4:15 pm) and by appointment
Languages: Lithuanian

Labas!

Mr. Viskanta is a first generation Angelino. His parents impressed upon him the importance of his Lithuanian heritage and taught him to speak the Lithuanian language fluently. This background has fostered an understanding of being bilingual and some of the difficulties in learning a second or third language.

Mr. Viskanta has taught at DPMHS since 2005 and has taught all but one of the classes in the English Department.

A graduate of Loyola Marymount University, he majored in English and won the Daniel T. Mitchell Memorial Essay Contest for an essay on a Shakespeare play. His minor was in philosophy, a subject he likes to informally introduce to his students. A passion for independent music led him to work at LMU’s well-regarded college station KXLU, where he spent much of his spare time. He then went to study at New York University and received a Master’s degree in literary theory and philosophy.

Mr. Viskanta is the Chair of the English Department, and is proud of the success that the department achieves. DPMHS has been named a “Center of Merit” by the Los Angeles Unified School District (meaning that over 70% of students score proficient or advanced on the CST at DPMHS.) He supported his teacher colleagues by being the UTLA Chair from 2011-2013 and in that function was also a member of the School Site Council. In addition, Mr. Viskanta chaired the WASC Committee for the school’s successful review in February of 2013.

As a biannual culminating project, Mr. Viskanta publishes a book of writing which has contributions from all of his 10th grade students. He just finished publishing the volume for his class of 2014, who were 10th graders in 2011-12. Copies of all volumes can be found here: Viskantateach Lulu Store.

Mr. Viskanta is a member of the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association.