Bernadine Cotton Las Cruces, NM | K-6, Mathematics, 2014

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

Bernadine Cotton has been an educator for more than 25 years, teaching first through fourth grade at Tombaugh Elementary School. Her teaching career includes 14 years in a multi-age setting and 18 years working with special education students. She currently teaches third grade inclusion. Her passion for working with children and improving instruction has led to many leadership roles in her school, district, and community. During the 2010 school year, she participated in the Learning and Leading Consortium for 21st Century Learning offered through the Las Cruces Public School District. She was a member of the Leadership Institute for Teachers from 2012–2014 at New Mexico State University. She has also been a presenter and grade level facilitator at the Scientifically Connected Communities summer institutes. She is currently a teacher leader with Mathematically Connected Communities at New Mexico State University and with the Math Leadership Cadre at Las Cruces Public Schools.  She is the recipient of many grants, including a federal stimulus grant that provided a two-year summer program for special education students at Tombaugh Elementary School. Bernadine earned a B.S in education and a M.A. in curriculum and instruction from New Mexico State University. She was recognized as a Crimson Scholar and is certified in kindergarten through eighth grade elementary education.

• High-resolution version of the official portrait photograph
• Awardee holding Presidential certificate between Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director, Dr. John P. Holdren, and Assistant Director, Directorate for Education and Human Resources, National Science Foundation, Dr. Joan Ferrini-Mundy.
• High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

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