Receiving the Presidential Award is a profound honor, affirming my dedication to education and the empowerment of mathematics in my community. It symbolizes the breaking of barriers and the importance of representation in STEM fields. This award fuels my commitment to inspire, mentor, and create opportunities for my students, showing them that excellence is within their reach. It's not just my achievement—it's a step toward a more inclusive future in mathematics education.

Marcus Blakeney Louisville, KY | 7-12, Mathematics, 2023

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

Marcus Blakeney has taught at Fern Creek High School in Louisville, Kentucky for all 13 years of his career and currently teaches Algebra II and Advanced Placement Statistics to 11th and 12th grade students. At Fern Creek, Marcus has taught varying levels (advanced, honors, Special Education collaboration) of Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. He has served as Department Chair of Mathematics and Professional Learning Community (PLC) Facilitator for Algebra 1 and Geometry. Marcus incorporates an inquiry-based approach to learning mathematics as his students work in teams of three to four to solve rich tasks. He also incorporates Vertical Non-Permanent Surfaces (VNPS) in his classroom for students to solve mathematics, in what he calls "vertical learning." Outside of teaching, Marcus is a classroom teacher specialist with CPM Educational Program. He has traveled the Unites States facilitating professional development on the topics of equity, assessment, and first-year implementation. He has presented at regional conferences for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and national conferences for the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics and CPM. Marcus earned a B.S. in middle school education with a concentration in mathematics and an M.Ed. in teacher leadership, both from the University of Louisville. He is certified grades 5-12 in mathematics education and is National Board Certified in mathematics - adolescence and young adulthood.

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