PAEMST Awards Highlight Outstanding Teachers
I am so fortunate that in my role as Commissioner of Education I have the opportunity to visit with teachers from all across Texas. It’s especially rewarding when I can meet with teachers on their own turf – the schools where they work.
I remain in awe of their daily work and commitment to student success. That’s why it’s wonderful when some of our educators are recognized on a national level for their work.
Four Texas teachers have been named recipients of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, or PAEMST. The National Science Foundation administers PAEMST on the behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching recognizes mathematics and science teachers whose innovative methods bring teaching to life in the classroom. It is the highest recognition a mathematics or science teacher may receive for exemplary teaching in the United States.
The Texas PAEMST recipients are:
Grades K-6 Award Cohort (2014)
Erika Hassay (Round Rock ISD)
Hassay taught first grade at Live Oak Elementary School in Round Rock ISD. She is currently working with the district’s Next Generation Digital Classrooms.
Celina Miller (Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District)
Miller is a science and technology lab instructor at Cesar Chavez Elementary School in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD.
Grades 7-12 Award Cohort (2015)
Patty C. Hill (Austin Independent School District)
Hill teaches Algebra I and Algebra II at Kealing Middle School in the Austin ISD.
Cara Johnson (Allen Independent School District)
Johnson taught twelfth grade Anatomy and Physiology at Allen High School in Allen ISD. She is currently a district specialist for grades 9-12 in Allen ISD.
As PAEMST awardees, Hassay, Hill, Johnson and Miller will each receive a $10,000 award, a Presidential citation and a trip to Washington, D.C. for a series of recognition events, professional development activities and an awards ceremony.
I congratulate these four teachers for bringing national recognition to the good work taking place in Texas classrooms every school day. Each of these educators is an example of why teaching is a profession to be held in high esteem and truly worthy of celebration of its successes, big and small.
Next time you meet a teacher, make it a point to thank them for the work they do. The efforts of a dedicated teacher in the classroom today strengthens the Texas of tomorrow.
Commissioner of Education Mike Morath
September 21, 2016