Middletown Math Teacher Recognized with Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and U.S. Representative John Carney (all D-Del.) congratulated Cedar Lane Elementary School third-grade math teacher Linda Bledsoe on being recognized by President Obama today as a recipient of the 2010 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.  

“We are very proud that President Obama today recognized Cedar Lane Elementary School’s Linda Bledsoe with the 2010 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching,” the Delegation said Thursday. “The modern economy is rooted in science and technology, and success in either field is incumbent on a strong bedrock of mathematics. By equipping our young people with the skills to succeed in those areas at a young age, teachers like Linda Bledsoe and the five other extraordinary Delaware teachers who were finalists for this award are making our economy stronger and our nation more competitive. We congratulate Linda on this prestigious achievement.”  

Cedar Lane Elementary School is in the Appoquinimink School District in Middletown.  

The White House’s announcement follows:    

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2011  

President Honors Outstanding Math and Science Teachers  

WASHINGTON, DC — President Obama today named 85 mathematics and science teachers as recipients of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The educators will receive their awards in Washington, D.C. later this year.  

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is awarded annually to outstanding K-12 science and mathematics teachers from across the country. The winners are selected by a panel of distinguished scientists, mathematicians, and educators following an initial selection process done at the state level. Each year the award alternates between teachers teaching kindergarten through 6th grade and those teaching 7th through 12th grades. The 2010 awardees named today teach kindergarten through 6th grade.  

Winners of this Presidential honor receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion. They also receive an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony and several days of educational and celebratory events, including visits with members of Congress and the Administration.  

President Obama has committed to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and prepare 100,000 effective science and mathematics teachers over the next decade. These commitments build on the President’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign, which has attracted more than $700 million in donations and in-kind support from corporations, philanthropies, service organizations, and others to help bolster science and technology education in the classroom.  

“The teachers we honor today have demonstrated uncommon skill and devotion in the classroom, nurturing the young minds of tomorrow’s science and math leaders,” said President Obama. “America’s competitiveness rests on the excellence of our citizens in technical fields, and we owe these teachers a debt of gratitude for strengthening America’s prosperity.”  

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