Hiteman finalist for national award

Kromrey sixth-grade science teacher Kathy Hiteman is one of five Wisconsin educators to be named a finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction announced on Tuesday.

"Kathy is a hard-working and innovative teacher and we are proud to have her as part of the Kromrey team,'' Kromrey Principal Steve Soeteber said on Tuesday afternoon. "This recognition of her dedication to her students is well-deserved.''

Hiteman is one of three science teachers up for the award. The others are Sheila Kohl, a sixth-grade teacher at West De Pere Middle School, and Jacalyn Cebertowicz, a fourth-grade teacher at Edgewood Elementary School in the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District.

The math finalists are Mary Fernan, a fifth-grade teacher at Northside Intermediate School in the Milton School District, and Tina Parker, a first-grade teacher at Sam Davey Elementary School in Eau Claire.

"Congratulations to these five educators for their dedication to teaching children and improving their profession,'' State Superintendent Tony Evers said in a news release. "As finalists for this national award, they represent the outstanding teachers who serve in our classrooms each school day.''

Applications for the five state finalists will be judged at the national level by a committee organized by the National Science Foundation. The panel may select one math and one science teacher to receive the Presidential Awards from each state and four U.S. jurisdictions next spring. The winners will be honored in Washington, D.C. They will also receive $10,000 and a citation signed by the president.

Since 1983, more than 4,100 teachers have been recognized for their contributions to math and science education.