David Petty

He has lived in Hawaii, been a house painter and even started two businesses. Computer science teacher David Petty has truly seen everything. He is passionate about computer science, loves basketball and is ready to take on the high school.           

What inspired you to teach computer science and web design?

I had a career as an engineer before I came here and worked at several different software companies. When my children were young, I volunteered at their school and really enjoyed it. Computer science has always been my passion.

What do you think of the high school community?

The students have been great so far and so have all my community members. Both the people in the Unified Arts Building and the new teachers have been very welcoming and great to work with. I feel a little bit disconnected from the academic departments since it’s a different building.

Do you have anything you like to do in your free time?

I play basketball three times a week, so that’s really important to me, and I’m always looking for a game in Brookline. And also, I coached robotics for a really long time, and I’ve been working with Ms. Stevens on a project, which I can hopefully contribute to through robotics and entrepreneurship.

What does entrepreneurship mean to you?

Entrepreneurial thinking is a way that most people see as how to create a business. I have started two businesses in the past. But it’s really a way in which you can convince other people of your ideas, and it’s usually done in a business context, but it doesn’t have to be.

What do you think is valuable about your computer science class?

I’m passionate about computer science because it’s interesting. I know it’s not inherently interesting to everyone, but the problem-solving techniques that you learn in computer science, combined with the fact that you can use a computer to solve them, is a very useful skill for people.