An assistant principal at Erwin High School has been honored for her outstanding achievement in mathematics education.
The North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCCTM) recently surprised Stefanie Hill with the W.W. Rankin Award for Excellence in Math Education. The award, named in memory its first recipient, a Duke University mathematics professor, is the highest honor presented by the NCCTM for outstanding contributions to math education.
“Ms. Hill has been a mathematics educator for more than 20 years and has
contributed to the mathematics education of countless students and teachers during this time,” said Emogene Kernodle, the NCCTM Rankin Committee Chair. “When North Carolina adopted new high school math standards with little runway for implementation, she was a part of a small group of district leaders who galvanized a grassroots network of educators to develop guidance for districts across the state. The collaborative spirit, strategic mind, and fierce commitment to equitable mathematics learning opportunities helped move an entire system forward.”
Ms. Hill was presented with the award at the NCCTM conference last month.
“I was genuinely surprised to be joining such a distinguished list of Rankin Award recipients,” Ms. Hill shared. “I do this work because I deeply believe in the power of education, especially mathematics. Too often we hear people say, ‘I’m not a math person.’ While not everyone may feel confident with algorithms or solving equations, math is so much more than that. It’s about thinking through solution pathways, solving problems, and making sense of the unknown.”
Ms. Hill joined three other BCS educators honored by NCCTM this year. As we’ve shared, Jaime Stowe of North Buncombe High School was named BCS Outstanding Secondary Math Teacher earlier this year. She, along with Leigha Jordan of Valley Springs Middle School (Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching awardee) and Karen McPherson of Owen High School (Presidential Award finalist) were also recognized for their achievements.