2021-22 PLTW National Awards Yearbook

PLTW National Awards

2021-22 School Year Award Recipients

Congratulations to all PLTW National Award Recipients!

This past year has challenged teachers and administrators nationwide to come up with innovative ways to engage not only students but also parents and caregivers. Educators were at the forefront of creating new ways to facilitate learning experiences that ensured students continued to thrive. We want to celebrate and highlight the great work our educators do every day for students through the PLTW National Awards.

Celebrate these award recipients throughout our first ever PLTW National Awards Yearbook in the following categories:

• PLTW Outstanding Teacher – Launch

• PLTW Outstanding Teacher – Gateway

• PLTW Outstanding Teacher – Engineering

• PLTW Outstanding Teacher – Computer Science

• PLTW Outstanding Teacher – Biomedical Science

• PLTW Outstanding Administrator

• PLTW National Teacher of the Year – Launch

• PLTW National Teacher of the Year – Gateway

• PLTW National Teacher of the Year – Engineering

• PLTW National Teacher of the Year – Computer Science

• PLTW National Teacher of the Year – Biomedical Science

• PLTW National Administrator of the Year

• PLTW Robert and Patricia Kern Teacher of the Year

Join us in celebrating the PLTW National Award recipients!

All of the PLTW Team Members are inspired and encouraged by their dedication to drive exceptional student learning outcomes.

Thank you for showing up every day and Leading The Way for students in your communities.

PLTW L AUNCH

Lindsey Ayers

Franklin Avenue Elementary Massachusetts

Juana E. Molina

Valley Elementary California

Amanda Cox

Burnside Elementary

Kentucky

Cammy Neth Lewis and Clark Elementary Missouri

Katharine Dwyer

Brooklyn Center Elementary

STEAM School Minnesota

Mrs. Janelle Odle

Wildwood Elementary California

Joey Giunta

Tritt Elementary Georgia

Heather Palmer Savage Road Elementary School Michigan

Karen Kropp

Goshen Intermediate School

New York

Claudia N Pastrana

Westminster Christian School Florida

Clint Phillips

Neveln Elementary School

Minnesota

Kristen Robinson

Darnaby Elementary

Oklahoma

Raine Sherwood

Northshore Christian Academy

Washington

Kristin Slota

Afton Elementary

Pennsylvania

Paula Wiechert

Glazier Elementary School

California

PLTW G ATEWAY

Rocco Barletta

Stevensville Middle School

Maryland

Angelica Eduwiges Gunderson

Los Alisos Middle School

California

Christopher Daniel Woodward Park Middle School

Ohio

Joshua Haney Milford Jr High Ohio

Richard Embrick

David Crockett Middle School Texas

Mike Herries

St Francis of Assisi School Missouri

Christian Gober

Anna Middle School Texas

Raven P.M. Ivey

Admiral Moorer Middle School

Alabama

Dave Grad

Polo Park Middle School

Florida

Rob King Central Middle School

Maryland

Crystal Ellison Pelkey

Florence Chapel Middle South Carolina

Lisa Weier

Mickelson Middle School

South Dakota

Danielle Richards

R.J. Baskett Middle School

Indiana

Heather LeAnn Woodall

Carthage 6th Grade Center Missouri

Terry E. Rowe

Zionsville Middle School

Indiana

Dr. Nicole Yemothy

R.H. Gettys Middle School

South Carolina

Holli Shelton

Fruitvale Junior High California

Robbie Artherton

Cassville Middle School Missouri

Terri Tessmann

Kenosha School of Technology

Enhanced Curriculum Wisconsin

Odessa

Delaware

Maryland

Amanda Binkley

High School

Aarti Sangwan

Worcester Technical High School

PLTW EN G I NEERING

Ashley Baclaan

Norwalk High School

California

Tarik El-Naggar

Valparaiso High School Indiana

Tom Baker

Beaverton Academy of Science and Engineering

Oregon

John Goodz

Pennsbury High School

Pennsylvania

Marissa Barreto

Aero/Hydrospace Engineering and Physical Science Magnet High School

Connecticut

Michael Green

Francis Howell North High School Missouri

Amy Clardy

Kiamichi Technology Centers

Oklahoma

Bill Kuch

Hilliard Davidson High School Ohio

Adam Davidson

Riverside High School

North Carolina

Dr. Kyle Locke

Anderson Institute of Technology

South Carolina

Michelle Ming

Archbishop Carroll High School

Washington, D.C.

Ricky Reeves

Francis Howell High School

Missouri

Kerri Moore

Boiling Springs High School

South Carolina

Beth Richert

Western Technology Center

Oklahoma

William H. Moss

American Heritage School

Florida

Myrtis Smith

Indian Hill High School

Ohio

Ed Neumann

Belleville High School

Wisconsin

Misty Page

Anna High School

Texas

Tonya Aerts

New Prairie United School Corporation

Indiana

Susana A Maldonado

William Mason High School Ohio

Shane Brashears Western Technology Center

Oklahoma

Marie Pool Western Technology Center Oklahoma

Kristin Busch

Mehlville High School Missouri

Nancy Rozak

Plymouth North High School Massachusetts

Lindsay Hall Eufaula High School

Alabama

Andrea Teevan Center Grove High School

Indiana

Susan Incerpi

Carrollton High School

Ohio

Terri Tessmann

Kenosha School of Technology

Enhanced Curriculum

Wisconsin

Jennifer West Paloma Valley High School California

Andrew Zenczak Brunswick High School Ohio

Elizabeth Walsh-Rock STEAM Academy at McCluer South Berkeley High School Missouri

Scott Troy Westminster High School Colorado

Marilyn Allen

Affton School District

Affton High School

Missouri

Patrick Brown

Fort Zumwalt School District

Missouri

Kathe Corning

Western Technology Center Oklahoma

Ericka D. Mabion

Kansas City Public School District

Missouri

Bob Wilson

Marshall County Schools

John Marshall High School

West Virginia

Suzi Mitchell

Hays Consolidated Independent School District

Texas

Lisa LeFevre

American Heritage School Florida

Thomas O’Brien

Uncommon Schools

Uncommon Charter High School New York

Duane Robertson

Antelope Valley Union High School District California

Heather Touchberry

Kristen Kreutner

Northshore Christian Academy

Washington

Leslie Tewell

Keller Independent School District

Keller Harvel Elementary School

Texas

School District of Pickens County

McKissick Academy of Science and Technology South Carolina

Valarie Marie Londrie

Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District Texas

Tim Velegol

Durham Public Schools

Riverside High School North Carolina

Christine Davenport

PLTW Master Teacher | West Platte Elementary School | West Platte School District | Missouri

NOTEWORTHY FACTS

• Coach - "Girls on the Run" club

• Coach - "Let Me Run" (boys' running club)

• Coach - Destination Imagination Teams

• Coach - High School Dance Team: West Platte Sapphires

• Member of West Platte Elementary Leadership Team

• Member of West Platte Elementary Behavior Team

• District Tutor

• Supervisor for after school activities, concession stands, organizing volunteers, etc.

• Master Teacher

• PLTW Trainer

NOMINATION QUOTE

“I am honored to recommend Christine Davenport as PLTW Launch Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Davenport is one of the most incredible teachers I have had the pleasure of working with in my 31-year career. I knew Mrs. Davenport was special by the way students talked about her and her class. I had to see it for myself. She is hands-on, enthusiastic, and passionate about the content she teaches. When she teaches a subject, it is relevant to their lives, and they really understand the “why” behind their learning. This is not a common practice but is critical for student cusses. I have yet to be in her room when students were not using high-level vocabulary in context and again, this doesn’t just happen.”

– E. Hayet Woods, Principal, West Platte Elementary School

Ralph Alvarado

PLTW Gateway Teacher | Lusher Charter School | Advocates for Arts Based Charter Schools | Louisiana

NOTEWORTHY FACTS

• Lusher Charter Teacher of the year

• Robotics facilitator

• Father, husband, baseball fan

• Weekend warrior baseball player

• Mardi Gras aficionado

• Volunteer at Chevron STEM Zones

• Outdoorsman and a cook

NOMINATION QUOTE

“I wholeheartedly support the nomination of Ralph Alvarado as PLTW Teacher of the Year. He is our middle school engineering teacher and K-12 engineering coordinator. He leads our STEM program and teaches engineering classes, grades 6-8. He has been a wonderful addition to our staff. He provides an engaging, stimulating, and supportive environment for our students to achieve success. He empowers his students to discover and explore interests, imagine and design solutions to real-world challenges, and become independent, confident problem solvers.

Ralph is a sponge for learning and takes initiative in learning whatever he can. His passion is engineering and implementing the PLTW curriculum. He works beyond the classroom to cooperate with his colleagues on special school projects and willingly volunteers for needed school-related tasks.

For example:

• He has given professional development to our elementary teachers in the PLTW Launch program.

• He is a Master teacher and travels to different states to train teachers.

• He is the club sponsor for our Robotics club.

• He has written and received many grants.

• He has undergone training this year to be a mentor teacher.”

– Charlene Hebert, Lusher Charter School

Edgar Monroy

PLTW Gateway Teacher | Bret Harte Middle School | Hayward Unified School District | California

NOTEWORTHY FACTS

• Member of our Instructional Leadership Team

• Member of the Subject Matter team

• Provides professional development to peers at our school site and around the district and has spoken to several groups of teachers outside of his own content area about developing and/or expanding a PLTW program at their school.

• Leads an after-school Design and Modeling club for students not in PLTW classes

• Partners with Chevron for their PLTW programs and takes on additional work in facilitating some of their programs for students

• Connects with summer programs and assists his students in applying or gaining access to programs that will keep them engaged and learning in the summer from industry professionals or in PLTW-based summer camps.

NOMINATION QUOTE

“It is with great pleasure that I am nominating Edgar Monroy for the Outstanding PLTW teacher. Mr. Monroy teaches Engineering level 1 and 2 classes at Bret Harte. I’d like to share some of my observations of Edgar specifically related to his impact on the lives of students, advocacy for program expansion and student access, and teaching and the classroom environment.

Mr. Monroy is an in-demand teacher at our school who develops trusting relationships with his students. He guides students through lessons that build up content knowledge through PLTW curriculum and his own supplemental lessons, and when they are ready to put their critical thinking skills to the test, they are successful, having built their background knowledge under his direction. He integrates discussions of industry standards and invites guest speakers to his class, sometimes challenging the guests to do the same projects students are working on. Mr. Monroy opens dialogue with students to predict what skills and tools they might use in the future and shows them how to adapt their new knowledge to meet the needs of a changing industry. He looks for opportunities to help his students learn such as field trips, our district STEAM event, community events, and elementary school visits where his students coach the younger students through an engineering activity. He leaves a lasting impact on students.

As a principal, it is rare that I have a teacher who invites me to be a part of their curriculum design, encourages me to learn more about the programs they teach, and challenges me to think outside the box about course offerings and student opportunities. Mr. Monroy has supported my growth and the expansion of our program in connection with the High School PLTW Engineering pathway. Our school has a very diverse population and Mr. Monroy looks critically at the demographics of his classes and seeks out representation from groups such as Black, Latinx, and female students. He connects with Chevron and Bay Area LEEDS and participates in the annual Girls Lead the Way Conference where he is not only a participating teacher, but he also helps to host the event. He exposes students to activities they would otherwise never experience.”

– Seana Condit-Gordon, Principal, Bret Harte Middle School

Randy Mills

PLTW Master Teacher | Rangeview High School | Adams-Arapahoe 28-J | Colorado

NOTEWORTHY FACTS:

• Department chair

• Baseball Coach

• CyberPatriot Coach

• IT Technical Support Lead

• Supervisor for the IT Internship Program

NOMINATION QUOTE:

“I strongly believe that Mr. Mills has demonstrated strong alignment to PLTW’s mission. Mr. Mills is always researching and employing instructional methods that will intrigue and inspire his scholars. Mr. Mills is also a lifelong learner. He proactively seeks out opportunities to enhance his instructional skills. He attends and even leads PLTW training every year. Mr. Mills has presented at the PLTW Summit and is a designated Master teacher. He has been a leader in helping get our PLTW Computer Science pathway developed and sustained at our school. Mills is always experimenting with new technology and has done amazing 3D printing lessons inside his class. He has also trained other members of the CTE/STEM Department on 3D printers. Other schools within our Aurora Publics Schools District look to Randy Mills for advice often. He has been a true leader both inside and outside our school.”

– RyAnn S. Nelson-Jaiyesimi, Assistant Principal, Rangeview High School

Michael Thomas Karasch

Teacher | William Fremd High School | Township High School District 211 | Illinois

NOTEWORTHY FACTS:

• Equity Committee

• Teaching and Learning Team

• Technology Coach

• e-Learning Team

• Career Cluster Curriculum Team

• Illinois High School Theatre Festival Executive Committee

• Teaching Assistant: Computer Information Science, DeVry University 1999-2000

• Information Technology, Gifted, William Fremd High School 2006-Present

• Master Teacher for Digital Electronics

• PLTW Outstanding Engineering Teacher 2019

• Recipient of the Natalie and Jerome Share Fellowship 2004, 2005, 2006

NOMINATION QUOTE:

“Mike Karasch has been an advocate for inspiring students to develop problem solving and innovative thinking since he began teaching in 2008. As an observer of his interactions with students, I have found him to create a classroom of excitement and selfdiscovery through hands-on challenges. Whether he is helping students find innovative solutions to water filtration or receiving a pie in the face because of a successfully engineered machine, Mike is working alongside his students pushing them to think beyond their first and second thoughts and failures. He can be found inspiring students within the classroom and after school with a consistently positive and supportive attitude. The PLTW course sequence options expanded quickly at Fremd High School and throughout our five high schools because of Mike’s expertise. Specifically, Digital Electronics and Environmental Sustainability were options made available in part because of Mike’s vision to offer diverse engineering experiences to our students. In both courses, Mike has been instrumental in not only the course start-up but also spreading the excitement to teachers in other schools to begin teaching these courses. His support in the development and enhancement of the instructional choices in these courses have benefited his students, as well as other teachers, as he leads professional development for both new and experienced PLTW teachers.”

– Lisa Small, Associate Superintendent, Township High School District 211

Danielle Weber

Secondary Science Teacher; PLTW Biomedical Science Master Teacher |The Academy of Information

Technology & Engineering | Stamford Public Schools | Connecticut

NOTEWORTHY FACTS:

• Science National Honor Society Advisor

• RSPACEE Advisor

• Department Head Representative and Data Team Science Representative for A.I.T.E.

• 2016 as the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program's Distinguished Teacher

• Master Teacher since 2013 for Human Body System's and Medical Interventions

• Mass Stem Hub Coach

NOMINATION QUOTE:

“Mrs. Weber has been an ambassador for the PLTW Biomedical Science program for our school since its inception and was instrumental in helping AITE receive its certification in 2013. She helped create our school’s first White Coat Ceremony, where students receive their scrubs or white coats depending on which courses they have completed. Before the pandemic, Mrs. Weber helped her students organize a Health Fair for the families of students which preceded the ceremony.

Mrs. Weber also finds opportunities for her students to promote the program. For example, she helped to select and organize a panel of diverse students from our school, who spoke to adults about the impact of the program on their lives at an annual PLTW conference. She has also asked graduates of the program, who are continuing their studies in healthcare, to come back to AITE to speak to students who are currently in the program. At my request, she also has selected students to speak about the program at our annual Freshmen Orientation. Parents and students always remark what an impressive job they do.”

– Tina Rivera, Principal, Academy of Information Technology & Engineering

Missy Fraze Acting Director, Career Technical Education | Anchorage School District | Alaska

NOTEWORTHY FACTS:

• 20 years educational experience; 12 years as an educational leader

• Immediate Past President of Alaska Association of Career and Technical Education

• Serves on the University of Alaska Computer Science and Engineering Advisory Board

• Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Alaska Fairbanks

• Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governors University

• Educational Leadership Certification in Educational Leadership and Administration from Western Governors University

NOMINATION QUOTE:

“Missy has consistently voiced that our first priority is to ensure that students have the foundational skills necessary to be successful in life, and that the only person who can decide if a student is successful is them. As such, she advocates a holistic approach to career and technical curriculum, seeking ways that we can support students’ growth beyond a narrow focus on technical training and college readiness. She champions initiatives that present multiple educational routes to careers so that each student can find the route that best meets their needs.

Additionally, she is keenly aware that “life readiness” skills, such as social emotional competence, are critical to personal satisfaction. Since becoming the CTE director, every new program and every curriculum revision has included a balance of technical, professionalism, and life skills.”

– Jeanette Renaudineau, CTE Coordinator, Anchorage School District

Dr. Laura A. Goldzung

Principal | Baldwin Elementary School | Manassas City Public Schools | Virginia

NOTEWORTHY FACTS:

• Volunteer with Council for Exceptional Children and CLD Council for Learning Disabilities

• Defending her doctoral dissertation July 2021

NOMINATION QUOTE:

“Mrs. Goldzung provides leadership for our school program based in equity and engaging learning experiences targeted to reach our learners in their individualized area of need and learning style. Problem-based learning experiences, such as those provided through the PLTW Launch program, have allowed us to provide instruction and equitable and engaging learning experiences for all of our students, even in the virtual setting. Mrs. Goldzung’s enthusiasm for PTLW helped make this possible, by providing additional monetary funds and support needed to supply students with at-home materials so that their learning could continue despite being at home for the majority of our school year. As in-person learners began returning to school, Mrs. Goldzung continued to ensure that, whether a student was in class or still in home, they were being provided a consistent, meaningful learning opportunity.”

– Jennifer Mullen, STEM Coach, Baldwin Elementary

Danielle Doherty-Koch

PLTW Biomedical Science Teacher | Crystal River High | Citrus School District | Florida

NOTEWORTHY FACTS

• 2020 Citrus County Teacher of The Year

• 2020 Crystal River High School Teacher of The Year

• Active member of the Florida Teacher Lead Network, which provides training to coach other teachers

• Provides professional learning opportunities by modeling technology integration to staff

• Shares ways to give voice and choice to students regularly with school administration

• Mentor teacher to new hire

• Crystal River High School Link Crew Coordinator

• Helps plan and run the CRHS Academy of Health Careers banquet for outgoing seniors

• Member of Academy of Health Careers Advisory Council

NOMINATION QUOTE

“Mrs. Doherty-Koch does not measure her students by test scores, but by how much they grow during their time in her classroom.

Mrs. Doherty-Koch’s PLTW Biomedical Science students are on track to attend college in a medical pathway. Over 100 PLTW Biomedical Science students have completed the program since 2015, and 91 percent have gone on to college. A total of 81 students have taken the Biotechnician Assistant Certification Exam with 54 passing, a pass rate of 67 percent. Many of her students go on to health careers and return to mentor current students.”

– Brian Lancaster, Assistant Principal, Crystal River High School

Amy Baldwin

PLTW Gateway Teacher | Oakbrook Middle School | Dorchester District Two | South Carolina

NOTEWORTHY FACTS

• Girl Power Organizer – October 2019

• SC STEM Educator of the Year 2021

• Member of Alpha Delta Kappa Teacher Sorority

• Member of South Carolina Council of Teacher of Mathematics Serves on the Hour of Code and Computer Science Education Week Advisory Committee 2016-present

• National Board Certified in Early Adolescent Mathematics

• First Lego League robotics coach

• VEX VRC Robotics Coach

• NASA Roads to Mars Coach, Virtual Competition won National Spirit Award

• District Soft Skills Committee, Implementation team leader for Microburst Learning Program

• District Middle Level STEM Implementation team leader for Learning Blade program

NOMINATION QUOTE

“Amy Baldwin walks into her classroom each and every day with a smile on her face and a passion for what she teaches. The students are eager to learn and collaborate with one another in a technology enhanced environment. Students consistently work together on projects in which they must solve a problem through innovative solutions, as well as be able to explain their thinking. She coaches many teams at the middle school, including the OMS Robotics team, the OMS VEX Robotics team, and several others.

She was the first one I reached out to when the Oakbrook Elementary School team had new coaches. She selflessly gave of her time to mentor our coaches, as well as provide leadership to our students through her robotics team members. Oak Brook Elementary School has been able to grow in the love for STEM through her mentorship with our first and third grade classes. Her students come over to elementary school to work with our younger learners through a lesson that involves discussion, creation, and planning around a real-world problem. She has been awarded many accolades based on her successful years of coaching the OMS Eagle Mind Squad – taking them onto the state competition as well as the OMS Vex team.”

– Kimberly Boutin, Principal, Oakbrook Elementary School

Charlene Griesner

CTE Coordinator | Fairmont School | Sanger Unified School District | California

NOTEWORTHY FACTS

• Grown the Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) after school club through CSU Fresno from six students to 60 students

• Pioneered the Femineer program within Sanger Unified

• Junior First Lego League coach, NASA HUNCH coach, and Middle School Foundation Academy grant recipient

NOMINATION QUOTE

“Griesner has merged PLTW teaching, co-teaching, and the training of SUSD leaders and staffers to a grander purpose and igniting levels of inspiration for kids to challenge and achieve new heights through the PLTW modules. She is the necessary conduit that reinforces the alignment of many networks: PLTW Launch, PLTW Gateway, and PLTW Engineering that includes four courses; secondary dual enrollment credits in engineering; networks with other schools in the Central Valley as a consultant to further engage districts in the PLTW cause; colleges and universities; and has initiated ongoing collaboration with professionals in the industry that bring PLTW full-circle.”

– Jared Savage, Principal, Fairmont School