Karen Schweitzer Williamsburg, MA | K-6, Mathematics, 2014

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

Karen Schweitzer has spent most of her 34-year career as a kindergarten through second grade teacher. She has been at the Anne T. Dunphy School for 26 years, where she currently teaches third grade. In Karen’s classroom, all students can become mathematical thinkers. Her activities invite students to explore concepts, create solutions, and work collaboratively. Karen believes that even the youngest minds can engage with big mathematical ideas, demonstrated in her innovative work with primary students. Her breadth and depth of mathematical knowledge has allowed her to excel in teaching older students as well. For 22 years, in addition to her classroom work, Karen has been part of an ongoing series of NSF-funded projects with researchers from Mount Holyoke College, the Education Development Center, and TERC. Consequently, she contributed to the "Developing Mathematical Ideas" professional development materials, presented at national conferences, and wrote chapters in two books. She provides professional development in mathematics and mathematics education for preservice and in-service teachers around the country. Karen has a B.A. in early childhood education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and is certified in kindergarten through eighth grade elementary education. She has a M.A. in mathematics teaching, concentration in leadership, from Mount Holyoke College.

• 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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