This award is recognition of my commitment to helping students succeed. This honor is a testament to my great teachers, mentors, colleagues, and administrators, who have modeled, encouraged, and supported great teaching for me. The Presidential Award is motivating and inspires me to promote excellence in education through quality mathematics instruction. It is exhilarating to know that my efforts have such an incredible impact on students.

Karla Digmann Dubuque, IA | 7-12, Mathematics, 2011

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Karla Digmann has been an educator for 13 years and has been teaching mathematics at George Washington Middle School for the past 10 years. She has also taught middle school and high school mathematics in both Preston and Dyersville, IA. Karla currently teaches Geometry, Algebra, and Pre-algebra to eighth graders. In addition, she coaches the school's MathCounts team and facilitates a mathematics club. Karla shares her love and enthusiasm for mathematics using activities that engage students. She continuously searches for new strategies to reach students. As a leader in her school and district, Karla has led teacher in-service trainings and provided mentoring opportunities. She has helped implement the middle school mathematics curriculum, develop common assessments, and incorporate technology into classrooms. Karla is a member of her school's Site Council, Renaissance Committee, and School In Need of Assistance Team. She is also a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Iowa Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Karla has a B.S. in mathematics and teacher education, magna cum laude, from Loras College and an M.A. in teaching middle school mathematics from the University of Northern Iowa. She is certified in secondary mathematics with a middle school endorsement.

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