The Presidential Award celebrates truly inspirational teachers. My high school calculus teacher won this award. He inspired me to study and teach mathematics. It is such an amazing honor to follow in his footsteps and be considered for such a prestigious award. I am completely humbled by this recognition and I am fully aware that my success is due to the hard work and devotion of the many mentors, colleagues, students, and loved ones that have supported me throughout the course of my career.

Wesley Davis Cabot, AR | 7-12, Mathematics, 2021

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

Wesley "Wes" Davis has been teaching mathematics for 27 years. For the past 11 years, he has taught juniors and seniors at Cabot High School. He has also taught at Cabot Junior High School North, eStem High School, Mills University Studies High School, Jacksonville High School, and North Pulaski High School. He serves as an adjunct faculty member of Arkansas State University at Beebe. At Cabot High, Wes teaches Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, and AP Statistics. He strives to make mathematics meaningful and relevant by using music, collaborative activities, and mnemonic devices. He writes songs to help his students learn and enjoy mathematics. In statistics, his students learn about sampling and bias by creating and carrying out studies to determine whether national brand foods taste better than store brand foods. Wes initiated the AP Statistics and AP Calculus BC programs at Cabot High. His students have won both regional and state awards. Each year, many of his students receive prestigious scholarships and military service academy appointments. He serves as the lead teacher for the AP/Honors mathematics courses and guided them as they transitioned the honors Precalculus course into the AP Precalculus course in 2023. Wes has served as both a reader and as a table leader for the AP Statistics exam. He has travelled around the state helping students prepare for the AP Statistics exam. He has served on state committees involving assessment and has represented the state at national assessment meetings. Wes has a B.S., summa cum laude, in mathematics and an M.S.E in mathematics, both from the University of Central Arkansas. He is a National Board Certified Teacher and is certified to teach secondary mathematics in Arkansas.

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