Two elementary school teachers in Williamsburg and a high school science teacher from Springfield were among some 200 teachers nationwide selected as recipients of the 2016 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the White House announced Monday.
Science teacher John Heffernan and math teacher Karen Schweitzer of the Anne T. Dunphy School in Williamsburg were selected in the kindergarten through grade 6 category, while high school science teacher Keith Wright was chosen in the grade 7 through 12 category. Wright had been at the Springfield Renaissance High School for nine years, but will begin as a chemistry teacher at Hampshire Regional High School in Westhampton this fall.
In all, 213 teachers were selected for the honor, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and the Department of Defense schools for the children of U.S. servicemen and women stationed at military bases.
Just four teachers were selected from Massachusetts. Neil Plotnick, a math teacher at Everett High School, was the fourth.
All recipients are invited to the an awards ceremony Sept. 8 in Washington, D.C.
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching are awarded annually to outstanding math and science teachers in grades K-12. Recipients are selected by a panel of scientists, mathematicians and educators.
Recipients each receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.
