Two Springdale teachers recognized with presidential award
Two Springdale Public School teachers have been named as recipients of Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
President Joe Biden announced Feb. 8 Lindsay Hall, Bernice Young Elementary School, and Lisa Taylor, Shaw Elementary School, have been recognized with awards in mathematics and science, respectively.
Hall and Young are the only awardees from Arkansas of the approximately 100 teachers, mentors and mentoring organizations selected for the award nationally, according to a White House press release.
“I am deeply appreciative of the inspiration that America’s teachers and mentors provide every day to support the next generation of STEM professionals,” Biden said in the release. “The dedication these individuals and organizations have demonstrated to prepare students for careers in STEM fields, during what has been a difficult time for teachers, students, and families, plays a huge role in American innovation and competitiveness.”
Established in 1983, PAEMST is the highest award kindergarten through 12th grade mathematics and science teachers can receive from the U.S. government, according to the release. Award recipients represent schools and organizations from all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Department of Defense Education Activity schools and all U.S. territories.
“As a teacher who aspires to bring mathematics and science topics alive in the classroom, being nominated for this award is an absolute honor,” Taylor said. “I am humbled to be recognized as part of an esteemed group of educators who are dedicated to building opportunities for all students in STEM fields. This nomination has not only made me reflect on the impact of my teaching practices, but also the impact I have as a mentor to those seeking to provide better opportunities for their students in STEM fields.”
Taylor has been an educator for more than 23 years and has served at Shaw for 14 years, teaching third through fifth grade. She taught third grade at Westwood Elementary School for six years and Huntsville Intermediate School for her first three years teaching. She also taught four years at the University of Arkansas as an adjunct instructor in early childhood education.
She is a national board-certified Middle Childhood Generalist and was recognized as the Arkansas Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year.
Taylor earned a bachelor’s in education from Arkansas Tech University and a master’s in education from Harding University. Lisa is currently working toward a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on STEM education at the University of Arkansas.
“It is an honor to be recognized as sharing the same expertise and dedication as the nation’s top teaching core who demonstrate deep content knowledge and can motivate and enable students to be successful in the mathematics and science subject areas,” Hall said of the award. “I have been able to grow professionally by digging deep into a subject area while producing high student achievement in my classroom.”
Hall has been an educator for 15 years and has spent the last three years teaching all subject areas in third and fourth grade with a focus in mathematics at Bernice Young Elementary School, a 2020 National Blue Ribbon School. She previously taught at Elza Tucker Elementary School for 12 years.
She has served on the district mathematics lesson planning collaboration team to design and plan virtual district mathematics lessons for the 2020-2021 school year, as well as the district mathematics cadre committee to implement district mathematics units at the school level. Hall uses her skills and passion about the subject to inspire her colleagues by leading book studies and professional development at her school.
Hall has a bachelor’s in early childhood education with a pre-kindergarten through fourth grade certification in all subject areas from Arkansas Tech University and a master’s in educational theory and practice from Arkansas State University. She is also a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.