Florida elementary math teacher Lori Price has garnered a prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Photo Credit: Lori Price
I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who have garnered honors for their work. One of these is Lori Price, an elementary school math teacher from Florida who has been named a recipient of a prestigious PAEMST award.
The PAEMST, Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, honors the dedication, hard work, and importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a $10,000 cash prize.
Lori says she feels extremely honored to have been named a recipient of the recognition. “This award reaffirms the importance of building a student-centered community where risk-taking is encouraged and mistakes are seen as important learning opportunities,” she declares.
Lori has been an educator for more than 30 years. She is currently working as a Professional Development coordinator at the Discovery School, a private elementary school located in Jacksonville, Florida. Prior to that, she taught in St. Johns County District Schools in Ponte Vedra Beach for 16 years. Lori says she strives to inspire all students to see themselves as capable learners with important ideas. She develops lessons that allow her students to engage in tasks that develop conceptual understanding and then use that understanding to derive strategies for solving problems. And she emphasizes cooperative learning. Outside the classroom, Lori founded a Primary Mathematicians Club for primary grade students so they could engage in activities that use real world mathematics.
In addition to her PAEMST, Lori was named the 2020 St. Johns County Teacher of the Year. She also participated in the District Teacher Advisory Group and is a member of the Florida Math Standards Committee. She has also served as the President of the St. Johns County Elementary Math Council and she has led the annual mathematics conference. Furthermore, she has presented on various topics at the state and national levels.
Lori earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. She earned her degree in Mathematics at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, in 2022.
