Quatama’s Sharon Angal Earns Prestigious National Award for Science Teaching

July 9, 2018 - Congratulations are in order for Sharon Angal, teacher at Quatama Elementary School, for winning a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). The PAEMST is the highest recognition available for K-12 math and science teachers in the United States.

Angal was nominated for the prestigious award by her colleague Sandie Grinnell, herself a science specialist, back in 2016 when she was serving as a STEM Integration teacher on special assignment (TOSA) at both Quatama and Tobias Elementary Schools. However, because the award alternates each year between K-6 and 7-12 teachers, and because the process is so intensive – involving letters of recommendation, narrative response demonstrating mastery of the Five Dimensions of Teaching and Learning, supplemental materials, videotaped classroom lessons, and both state- and national-level reviews – she did not actually receive the award until June 26 of this year.

As a PAEMST recipient, Angal was flown to Washington, D.C. to for the award ceremony and to participate in discussions on STEM and STEM education priorities led by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). She earned a $10,000 award from NSF as well as a presidential citation.

“I am honored to be a recipient of the Presidential Award,” notes Angal. “The award celebrates the many colleagues, administrators, students and families who have supported, challenged, and encouraged me along the way in my profession. Receiving this award validates my passion for teaching and the commitment I have every day for challenging students to meet high expectations, providing positive, hands-on learning, and working to help all students be successful in the classroom and in their daily lives.”

Read more about Angal here.

Read more about the PAEMST here.