6 Wisconsin Teachers Now Finalists For Presidential Award

WISCONSIN — Six teachers from across Wisconsin will go on for a shot to win the 2021 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), according to a press release from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Finalists from all states, including the six from Wisconsin, will now be judged by a committee from the National Science Foundation. Two national winners will emerge - one in science and one in mathematics, according to the PAEMST website.

Winners will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. They will also get to take home a certificate signed by the president plus $10,000.

“The six Wisconsin teachers named finalists for this honor have sparked a love of learning in their students and have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to their students’ academic success,” State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor said about the finalists.

The award is the highest U.S. government honor for science and mathematics educators in the United States, according to the Wisconsin DPI release.

Often, educators are initially nominated for the award by their own community members.

Educators in Wisconsin moving on as national finalists include:

Julia Henshaw from J.R. Gerritts Middle School in Kimberly.

Kevin Kiel from Wilson Middle School in Manitowoc.

Kristin Michalski from East Troy High School in East Troy.

David Ebert from Oregon High School in Oregon.

Erin Schroeder from Waunakee Community High School in Waunakee.

Amy Zientek from Brookfield Academy in Brookfield.