I am deeply honored to be a recipient of the Presidential Award, which recognizes not only my work but the work of the incredible staff and students at our school. We are a strong community that learns from one another, where every student is also a teacher. I hope to instill confidence and joy in my students as they grow as mathematicians and citizens of the world.

Heidi Fee Charlestown, RI | K-6, Mathematics, 2022

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

Heidi Fee has been an educator for 38 years and has spent the last 19 years teaching fourth grade at Charlestown Elementary School, where she also spent some time as a remote mathematics specialist. Previously, she taught eighth grade special education at Chariho Middle School and worked as a teacher at Monsignor Matthew F. Clarke Catholic Regional School in second and fourth grades. She started her career teaching first grade in the Bronx, NY. Heidi has served on various school committees and task forces including the Math Curriculum Committee, the Social Studies Curriculum Committee, the Anti-Racism Task Force, and the School Improvement Team. She also became certified as a trainer in Restorative Practices and Nonviolent Communication. Throughout her career, Heidi has incorporated music and drama into her teaching, especially in science and mathematics. She has written multiple musical theater scripts and songs that she has used to increase STEM learning in her classroom. She won an award for a music video from the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education in 2019. Heidi also loves to write and has published a children’s historical fiction novel, In Their Shoes. She has been published in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics journal Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12 and Instructor magazine. Her latest article, "Students as Teachers", describes her classroom model of creating a strong community and empowering students. Heidi earned a B.A., summa cum laude, in education from Concordia College where she was part of the school’s honors program. Later she earned an M.A, summa cum laude, in special education from Rhode Island College. She is certified in elementary education and K-12 special education.

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