SACO — Third-grade teacher Danielle Pelletier and STEM teacher Holly Trottier of C.K. Burns School were among Maine’s finalists for the 2022 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching for grades K-6, said Saco Assistant Superintendent Meg Parkhurst.

Nominated for their outstanding teaching and leadership, Pelletier, a teacher in Saco for seven years, was recognized in the mathematics category and Trottier, a teacher in Saco for eight years, was recognized in the science category for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, known as STEM.

“The Saco School Department is extremely fortunate to have Mrs. Pelletier and Ms. Trottier teaching our students,” said Superintendent Jeremy Ray. “During the most challenging years in the history of public education, they have engaged students, made meaningful connections, and reignited their excitement for learning. On behalf of all our staff and families, we thank them for their hard work and recognize this prestigious honor.”

Coordinated by the Maine Department of Education, the Presidential award is the nation’s highest honor for teachers of mathematics and science. Teachers across the country are nominated for either the mathematics category, which includes mathematics, technology, and computer science, or the science category, which includes science and engineering. Following the nomination, up to three state-level finalists in each award category are forwarded to a national selection committee composed of K–12 teachers, administrators, university professors, and STEM education researchers who will meet to select the awardees at the national level.

“What an honor it was to recognize these two amazing educators at C.K. Burns,” said the school’s principal, April Noble. ” The process of the nomination, application, and selection is time-consuming and corresponds well to their dedication towards high-quality education for our elementary students. To have two teachers in the same school recognized for this distinction is a testament to the education Saco students receive.”

The teachers chosen to be Presidential Awardees will be notified by the White House, honored in Washington, D.C., will receive $10,000 from the National Science Foundation, and will join a cadre of award-winning teachers who can impact STEM education in our state and nationally, said Parkhurst in a news release. Since its establishment in 1983, 80 math and science teachers from Maine have received a Presidential Award with the award alternating each year between grades K-6 and 7-12 teachers.

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