Four Maine educators are among 213 mathematics and science teachers recognized by President Obama as recipients of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science (PAEMST). The educators will receive their awards at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on September 8.
Awardees of the kindergarten through grade six cohort are Lauree Gott from Veazie Community School and Laura Stevens, second grade teacher at James Otis Kaler Elementary School in South Portland. Marielle Edgecomb from the Peninsula School in Prospect Harbor, and Cary James from Bangor High School are Maine’s awardees for the grade seven through twelve cohort.
The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is awarded annually to outstanding K-12 science and mathematics teachers from across the country. Winners of this Presidential honor receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion.
Awardees are selected by a panel of distinguished scientists, mathematicians, and educators following an initial selection process done at the state level. Each nomination year of the award alternates between teachers in the kindergarten through sixth grade level, and those teaching seventh through twelfth grade. The cohort of awardees named this week represents nomination years 2014 and 2015.
Nominations for the 2017 cohort of grades 7-12 awards will open this fall. For more information contact the PAEMST State Coordinator for mathematics Michele Mailhot at michele.mailhot@maine.gov or for science, Shari Templeton at shari.templeton@maine.gov.