• Home »
• Newsroom »
• News Releases »
• Year 2007

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today congratulated two outstanding California teachers who were named winners Thursday night of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the highest award that a teacher of science or mathematics teacher can receive.

At the Transforming Space 2007 Conference held in Los Angeles and attended by more than 300 space industry leaders from California, the honors went to Tapp Hancock, a second grade teacher in the Bakersfield City Unified School District, Kern County, and Anne Marie Wotkyns, a fourth grade teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County.

O'Connell joined members of the California Space Authority in offering his congratulations and appreciation for the accomplishments of these two teachers.

"As California moves forward to face the coming century, science and mathematics will play an increasingly important role," O'Connell said. "To remain competitive, all of our state's students will need a solid foundation in these crucial areas. Outstanding math and science teachers create this foundation and are essential to our state's future. I wish to congratulate these two outstanding teaching professionals and commend them for their love of teaching, hard work, and dedication that inspires kids to learn math and science."

Tapp Hancock teaches second grade at Bessie Owens Primary School in the Bakersfield City Unified School District, Kern County. She has served as a district mentor teacher and a Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program provider. Hancock was awarded a U.S. patent for a mathematics system she developed, and is a Fulbright Scholar. She was also named outstanding teacher for Kern County and is a member of the San Joaquin Valley Math Project, the California Math Council, and the National Teachers of Mathematics Council.

Anne Marie Wotkyns teaches fourth grade at J. B. Monlux Math, Science, and Technology Magnet Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County. She serves as the school's lead science specialist. Wotkyns has received the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence-West Quiksilver Ocean Leadership Award, the Flex Your Power Energy Challenge Award, and the Toyota Innovation Grant. She was a National Science Foundation Fellow and a nominee for Disney's American Teacher Awards. She also is a member of the National Science Teacher Association, the California Science Teacher Association, and the Greater Los Angeles Teachers of Science Association.

Since the inception of the PAEMST program 25 years ago, 74 California teachers have received the Presidential Award.

Governed by a statewide board of directors, the California Space Authority is a nonprofit corporation representing the commercial, civil, national defense, and homeland security interests of California's diverse space enterprise industry. California's space enterprise industry produces annual revenue of $21.85 Billion and represents 19 percent of the global space market. California space enterprise provides more than 265,500 jobs statewide and $13.4 billion in wages.

Chevron was the exclusive corporate sponsor of the PAEMST program for the third consecutive year.