Ellington Teacher Named Finalist For National Presidential Award

ELLINGTON, CT — A sixth-grade teacher at Center School in Ellington is among three Connecticut mathematics finalists selected for the 2022 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), as chosen by the Connecticut State Department of Education.

Christopher Messier, who teaches math and science at the school, is joined by Patricia Hahn, a second-grade teacher from Parkville Community School in Hartford, and Katherine Mauro, a K – 4 media, technology, computer science teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.

"Congratulations to Patricia, Katherine and Christopher on this honor that highlights their years of dedication, perseverance, and content mastery in the subjects they teach,“ Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker said in a written statement. "They epitomize
the innovative educators we have here in Connecticut and the importance of our efforts to engage students in STEM fields beginning at a young age."

The names of all three educators have been forwarded to the national selection committee and are eligible to receive a PAEMST award, the nation’s highest honor for U.S. K–12 science, technology, engineering, mathematics and/or computer science teachers. The awards program is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Each year, a national committee of prominent mathematicians, scientists, mathematics/science education researchers, district level personnel and classroom teachers recommends up to 108 teachers to receive PAEMST awards. Up to two teachers—mathematics or science—from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Territories as a group (comprising American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and schools operated in the United States and overseas by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) receive the award.

Teachers who are selected as PAEMST awardees receive a trip to Washington, D.C., where they attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities. They also receive a $10,000 award from NSF, a Presidential certificate, and join an elite cohort of award-winning teachers who can influence national STEM teaching.