May 5, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Redmond, Wash. – On April 30, Mary Glodowski and 98 other secondary math and science teachers were honored at the White House with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching for 2007. Glodowski, a science teacher at Juanita High School in Kirkland, was the Washington state honoree for science. The teachers took a group photo with Vice President Cheney as part of a week-long program of recognition and professional development activities put on by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The citation from the president notes that winners are commended for “embodying excellence in teaching, for devotion to the learning needs of the students, and for upholding the high standards that exemplify American education at its finest.”

Each awards recipient receives a $10,000 educational grant and the all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., to accept the award. In addition to the White House visit and an awards ceremony hosted by NSF Director Arden L. Bement, Jr., the teachers spent a day with scientists and science educators at the National Science Foundation; met with members of Congress; and attended a reception and dinner at the U.S. Department of State.

Glodowski has been teaching science at Juanita High School for 11 years. She developed a biotechnology course that has received national recognition. She encourages students to find their passions and makes science relevant by showing them opportunities for using science in their careers. Glodowski holds National Board Certification and has won multiple teaching awards, including the national Association of Biology Teachers’ Biotechnology Teaching Award and Outstanding Biology Teacher Award.

Juanita High School Principal Gary Moed called Glodowski “a superb teacher.” He believes that the biotechnology program engages students both personally and intellectually. “When they are adults,” said Moed, “Mary’s students will look back on their lives and realize how fortunate they were to have been in her classroom.”

Established by Congress in 1983, this awards program annually identifies highly qualified math and science teachers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories and the U.S. Department of Defense schools.

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About Lake Washington: Lake Washington School District is a high-performing public school district serving Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish, Washington. It is the sixth largest district in the state of Washington, with over 23,000 students in 49 schools.