April 4, 2003
California Teachers Selected as Recipients of 2002
Presidential Mathematics and Science Teaching Awards
SACRAMENTO — Four California teachers are recipients of the prestigious 2002 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, announced State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today.
The mathematics awardees are: Elementary —Charaline Maxim, Mesa Union Elementary School District, Ventura County; and Secondary —Pam Mason, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County. The awardees in science are: Elementary — Louise Stivers, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County, and Secondary — Mary Wuerth, Tamalpais Union High School District, Marin County.
"I congratulate these four outstanding teachers on their ability to foster student curiosity and generate excitement about the uses of science and mathematics," said O'Connell. "Through their innovative and creative approaches to teaching, they spark the desire in our children to learn about complex ideas. We salute these premier California teachers for their dedication to excellence."
The White House program, established in 1983 and administered by the National Science Foundation, bestows the nation's highest honor for mathematics and science teachers for kindergarten through grade twelve. The Presidential awardees — one elementary and one secondary mathematics teacher, and one elementary and one secondary science teacher from each state and jurisdiction — represent every state, the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and the U.S. Department of Defense schools.
After an initial selection process at the state or territorial level, a national panel of distinguished scientists, mathematicians, and educators recommends about 200 teachers from a pool of talented state finalists to receive the award. Each awardee receives a special citation signed by President Bush, a $7,500 grant to improve science and mathematics instruction at their school, and a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the awards ceremony and participate in other celebratory activities.
For more on the presidential awards program, including information about the nomination and application process, go to the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching's Web site at http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=DUE (Outside Source). You may also contact Mary Chenier in the California Department of Education's Awards Unit at 916-319-0411.
Charaline Maxim, Elementary Mathematics Awardee: Charaline began her teaching career in 1975 as a fourth-grade teacher in the Mesa Union Elementary School District. She remained at Mesa Union, teaching grades one through eight in both the regular classroom and in the Gifted and Talented Education program. For the past seven years, she has been teaching first-grade pupils. She also has been a mentor teacher in mathematics, master teacher for student teachers, and district representative on the county curriculum council.
During the past 12 years, she has served in several different positions with the Tri-County Mathematics Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, working with teachers from kindergarten through community college. She has been a co-director of the Tri-County Mathematics Project Summer Institute and conducted professional development for Mesa Union and other Southern California school districts. In 2001, the Ventura County Mathematics Council selected Charaline as Outstanding Teacher in Mathematics at the elementary level.
Charaline was an ambassador with the mathematics delegation to China in their People to People Program in 2000. The group spent two weeks visiting schools and universities, exchanging information with elementary teachers and university professors about mathematics curricula and teacher preparation.
Pam Mason, Secondary Mathematics Awardee: Pam has been teaching at Patrick Henry Middle School and Patrick Henry Math/Science/Technology Magnet School in the Los Angeles Unified School District for the past 30 years. She presently teaches seventh- and eighth-grade algebra and geometry classes.
In addition, she is a district math coach, mentor teacher, math department chair, math lead teacher, and a member of the advisory instructional and professional development committees for California State University at Northridge and her district. She has coordinated the schoolwide Mathorama Fair, an exhibition of student math projects, since its inception 25 years ago.
She was part of the development team for National Board Certification in Early Adolescence Mathematics and received National Board Certification in 1999. For the past three summers, she has been one of three trainers to facilitate the grading of the Assessment Portfolios for National Board Certification in Early Adolescence Mathematics, and is a past finalist in the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching competition. Her classroom teaching and students were featured in a National Public Radio report, "Algebra for Everyone."
Louise Stivers, Elementary Science Awardee: Louise teaches second grade in a self-contained classroom at Buchanan Street Magnet Center, Los Angeles Unified School District. Ten of her 20 students are learning English as a second language (ESL). Responsible for presenting the full curriculum, Louise teaches language arts, ESL, math, science, art, music, social studies, and physical education. She is a National Board Certified teacher, state finalist for the 1999 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science Teaching, and the 2000 California Science Teachers Association's Distinguished Science Teacher.
Louise was instrumental in obtaining the following grants for her students: the Toshiba K -- 6 Teachers Grants, Physics Phun, Discovering Trees, and A Journey Back to the Future, which provides students with digital video cameras to use in producing documentary videos on the lives of scientists.
Louise has published articles in the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse magazine Focus and the National Science Teachers Association magazine Science & Children. She authored an instructional unit, "Sun, Light & Shadows," for the California Teachers Association and presented that unit at a state conference in the fall of 2001. She is also a Solar System Ambassador for Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Mary Wuerth, Secondary Science Awardee: Mary teaches Advanced Placement (AP) biology and integrated science at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley and biology and microbiology laboratories at the College of Marin in Kentfield. After receiving her bachelor of science degree in biochemistry from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1986, Mary did two years of neurobiology research at UCLA before beginning her teaching career in south-central Los Angeles. At Locke High School, Mary was the academic decathlon coach and helped to coach team members to win gold and silver medals. Mary then taught at the California Academy of Math and Science magnet school in Los Angeles. She has been a mentor teacher and the life science subject-matter expert for student teachers at Dominican University.
As coordinator of Marin County's biotechnology education program, Mary trains teachers to implement the latest molecular biology techniques. As part of the University of California's College Prep Initiative, Mary served as an online AP biology instructor during the 2001-2002 school year. Last year she was selected to be one of 25 lead teachers for WGBH-TV's Evolution Project and was awarded a Radio Shack National Teacher Award for use of technology in the classroom.
Mary has done graduate work in cell and molecular biology at San Francisco State University. She is a workshop consultant for the College Board, a table leader for the AP biology examination, and a lead teacher and board member of the Bay Area Biotechnology Education Consortium.
