SPS Math Coach Recognized by White House
Bowerman Elementary School numeracy coach Tamara Stine made a visit to Washington D.C. June 24-July 1. While she was there, she made a visit to the White House -- and received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
“I had been a finalist since 2016, but I never heard anything,” said Stine. “But in the middle of May, I was asked to complete a background check and photo release from the White House with no other information . Then I got an email at the end of May inviting me and a guest to come to D.C.”
Stine’s award was to remain a secret until the White House officially announced the 108 top K-6 science and math teachers from across the United States. Each state and territory had a science and math educator selected -- Stine was the representative for excellence in mathematics instruction from the entire state of Missouri.
“If I had to pick the one thing that I do that made me stand out, it might be the way that I get my kids to participate in discourse and question each other,” she says. “I help them think a little bit deeper than they usually do. I try to be more of a facilitator than a teacher. I let them go in the right direction, but they’re in charge of their learning.”
As a numeracy coach and math teacher at Bowerman, Stine helps teachers excel while teaching math to their students, while also working with students who need additional math support in small groups.
But as a Presidential Award winner in Mathematics, she got to participate in several nationwide educational events, including discussions on STEM education priorities. In one discussion, she collaborated with a Missouri legislator, Ozarks Technical Community College president Hal Higdon, the head of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and the Missouri Presidential Award winner in Science, Christina Hwande. Together, they submitted feedback on the five-year federal STEM Education Plan, currently under development by the National Science Foundation.
“They said it was the first time teachers had been a part of developing the STEM plan,” said Stine. “It was so humbling and such an honor, receiving the award and also being in the room with all these amazing educators and be a part of the conversation.”
Stine received a presidential citation and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation, which manages the PAEMST programs on behalf of the White House. But the award means so much more.
“I think the Presidential Award for Excellence really highlights what all great teachers are doing,” said Stine. “This isn’t just specific to the people who won; I see high-quality teaching every day in my building. It shows that the government, the National Science Foundation and the Office of Science and Technology Policy really see and respect what teachers are doing.”