PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT NEWS
Four educators have been selected to represent New Mexico as state finalists for the 2021 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
The K-6 mathematics finalists are:
- Jacqueline Cook from Albuquerque Public Schools
- Silva Miranda from Clovis Municipal Schools
The K-6 science finalists are:
- Hope Cahill from Santa Fe Public Schools
- Amanda Pacheco-Suazo from Albuquerque Public Schools
State finalists represent the most outstanding teachers New Mexico has to offer and serve as both a model and an inspiration to students and fellow teachers.
Each year, a national committee of prominent mathematicians, scientists, mathematics/science education researchers, district level personnel and classroom teachers recommends up to 108 teachers to receive Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
The committee chooses no more than two teachers—mathematics or science—from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Territories as a group (comprising American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and schools operated in the United States and overseas by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).
The 2021 award winners, who will be announced in August, receive a trip to Washington, D.C., where they attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities. They also receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation, a presidential certificate, and join an elite cohort of award-winning teachers who can influence state and national STEM teaching.
The 2020 winners from New Mexico were Jessica Esquibel of Albuquerque Public Schools and Melody Hagaman of Las Cruces Public Schools.