Grace Kelemanik
Candidate for Director
At-Large
Position:
Mathematics consultant and co-founder, Fostering Math Practices, Natick, Massachusetts (2002–present).
Education:
BS (finance), Montclair State College, New Jersey; MST (mathematics education), Boston College, Newton, Massachusetts.
Previous Experience:
Clinical teacher educator, Boston Teacher Residency Program (Massachusetts) (2010–2016); mathematics teacher, Boston Public Schools (Massachusetts) (1998–2002); project director, Education Development Center, Newton (Massachusetts) (1985–1998).
Professional Memberships:
NCTM, National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM), TODOS: Mathematics for ALL, Association of Teachers of Mathematics in New England (ATMNE), California Math Council.
Leadership Experiences in Mathematics Education:
Member, Professional Development Services Committee, (2014–2017), member, K–8 Institute Advisory Group, (2014–2016), member and facilitator, Professional Development Academies Development Team, (2003–2005), cochair, Instructional Issues Advisory Committee (1998–2001), NCTM; board member (1998–2001), cochair (1996–1998), task force member and instructor, Leadership Development Academy (1997–2003), NCSM.
Publications:
Lead author, Routines for Reasoning: Fostering the Mathematical Practices in All Students (2016); coauthor, The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit A Guide for Staff Development (2008); coauthor, “Algebraic Thinking: A Professional Development Theme” in Teaching Children Mathematics and Mathematics Teacher (February 1997).
Honors:
Richard H. Balomenos Memorial Lecture Award for Outstanding Leadership and Support of Mathematics Education, ATMNE (2017).
Statement:
Our greatest goal as math educators is ensuring that every student learns to think and reason mathematically. NCTM is well positioned to help teachers meet this challenge. It can use existing materials and structures to create professional development opportunities for teachers that focus attention on mathematical thinking and help teachers practice—in real time—teaching strategies that ensure that all students develop as empowered mathematicians. NCTM must help teachers turn theory into practice by offering spaces where teachers can engage in in-the-moment teaching simulations to develop effective teaching practices, so all students can experience high-quality teaching and learning. NCTM should stand out as the organization for teaching mathematics.
Every teacher must develop content knowledge throughout their career. Thus, we have a great need for places teachers can turn to learn or relearn mathematics content. NCTM already has gold-standard resources for developing pedagogical content knowledge. I advocate using those resources to create online courses offered through a new “Math Learning Academy for Teachers” where teachers can expand and deepen their knowledge and earn graduate credit doing so.
To the NCTM Board, I will bring deep knowledge of mathematical practices, years of teacher development experience, and a steadfast commitment to helping all students learn to think and reason mathematically.