October 25, 2019, San Jose, Ca:  The Moreland School District is proud to announce that Moreland Middle School Teacher, Holly Brown, has been announced as one of six outstanding mathematics and science teachers who are finalists from California for the 2019 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).  The only math teacher selected in Northern California, Holly and the other five finalists will move forward to the National Presidential Award competition, where recipients are honored at an awards ceremony in Washington DC and given a $10,000 special award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Selected on several criteria, Holly was required to submit a 30 minute video as she taught students a lesson on analyzing gear ratios for speed and torque, a concept her Project Lead the Way students needed to understand in order to apply it to their final project of building a mechanical or motorized machine.  In addition, Holly shared her pedagogical practices, and her strategies for effectively teaching math in an engineering class, and her beliefs about teaching the whole child, not just academics.  

“We are so incredibly excited that Holly Brown is being recognized for the exemplary work she does with students.  Moreland School District’s staff is among the best of the best, and continue to have such a positive and life-long impact on not only our students, but their colleagues and the greater community.” said Dr. Mary Kay Going, Superintendent of Schools. 

Holly has been teaching for 10 years.  She previously taught 6th grade math and science, and 7th grade math before being trained in Project Lead the Way (PLTW), where she has now transitioned into teaching PLTW courses in Introduction to Computer Science and Automation and Robotics.  Holly will be honored for this prestigious award at the California Math Council’s (CMC) annual conference in December.

From the California Department of Education’s press release, “The California Department of Education partners with the California Mathematics Council and the California Science Teachers Association to recruit and select nominees for the PAEMST program.  Each applicant must display subject mastery, appropriate use of instructional methods and strategies, lifelong learning, and leadership in education outside the classroom.” To read the full press release, click here.