Senator Collins Meets with Four Maine Teachers Who Received Prestigious Education Award

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins met with four Maine teachers who received Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.  The winners, who accepted the awards earlier this week at a White House ceremony, are Cary James of Bangor High School, Lauree Gott of Veazie Community School, Laura Stevens of Dora L. Small Elementary School in South Portland, and Marielle Edgecomb of Peninsula School in Winter Harbor.

“I was delighted to welcome these distinguished Maine educators to my Washington, D.C., office and congratulate them on earning these prestigious awards,” said Senator Collins.  “Science and math education requires the passion, skill, and patience that these four have so clearly demonstrated throughout their careers.  This recognition is a reflection of these teachers’ outstanding commitment to ensuring their students have the skills necessary to succeed.  ”

Background on the Winners

• Cary James has taught at Bangor High School for 17 years. He teaches Advanced Placement and honors chemistry courses. For the past decade, he has also served as chairman of the school’s science department. This past year, his student, Paige Brown, won the 2016 Intel Science Talent Search.
• Lauree Gott has been an educator with Veazie Community School for 21 years and has also served as co-principal investigator for Maine Elementary Sciences Partnership.
• Laura Stevens has been an educator for 23 years, working at James Otis Kaler Elementary School and Dora L. Small School, both in South Portland.
• Marielle Edgecomb’s career as an educator and administrator spans 25 years, the past 14 of which have been at Peninsula School in Winter Harbor. She has also served as her district’s representative to the Association of Teachers of Mathematics in Maine and is the organization’s president-elect.

All award recipients receive $10,000 from the National Science Foundation to use at their discretion. The awardees represent all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. territories, and DoD Education Activity schools. Awardees are selected by a panel of distinguished scientists, mathematicians, and educators following an initial selection process at the state levels.