Latrenda Knighten

Candidate for President-Elect

Position         

Mathematics Content Trainer, East Baton Rouge Parish School System, Louisiana (2021-Present)      

Education    

B.A. (Psychology/Early Childhood Education), Tulane University, Louisiana; M.E. (Educational Technology Leadership), Northwestern State University, Louisiana

Experience

Instructional Coach/Professional Development Specialist, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana (2014-2021); Classroom Teacher/Math Coach, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana (2008-2014); Consultant, Harcourt (2006-2008); Classroom Teacher/Elementary Math Specialist, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana (2003-2006); Consultant, Louisiana Resource Center for Educators (2001-2003); Elementary Math Specialist, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana (1999-2001); Assessment Development, Louisiana Department of Education (1998-1999); Classroom Teacher/Elementary Science Specialist, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana (1987-1998)

Professional Memberships

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), Leadership in Mathematics Education (NCSM), TODOS: Mathematics for ALL, Benjamin Banneker Association (BBA), National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), Baton Rouge Area Council of Teachers of Mathematics (BRACTM), Louisiana Association of Teachers of Mathematics (LATM), Louisiana Science Teachers Association (LSTA), Phi Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi       

Leadership Experiences in Mathematics Education

NCTM Program Chair, 2022 and 2004 New Orleans Regional Conferences; NCTM Chair (2017-2018) and member (2015-2018), NCTM Nominations and Elections Committee; NCTM Board of Directors (2011-2014); NCTM Member, NCTM Student Explorations in Mathematics Editorial Panel (2011-2014); NCTM Program Committee Member (2023 Virtual Conference, 2021 Annual Meeting, 2016 Innov8 Conference, 2011 Atlantic City Regional, 2008 Annual Meeting, and 2007 Houston Regional); NCTM Presenter, Number in PreK-5, Common Core, PtA Effective Teaching Practices, and Discourse Interactive Institutes (2013-2017); NCTM Presenter, Differentiation E-Workshop (2009 and 2010); NCTM Member, Illuminations Advisory Group (2008-2010); NCTM Member, Professional Development Task Force (2008-2009); NCTM Member, Professional Development Services Committee (2004-2008); NCTM Presenter, Data and Geometry Academy (2003 and 2004); NCSM Board member (2022-Present) and state liaison (2017-Present) Math Ed Leaders; BBA Secretary (2020-2022) and Board member (2017-2019); Louisiana Association of Teachers of Mathematics (LATM) President (2002-2004) and Board member (1997-2005); Baton Rouge Area Council of Teachers of Mathematics (BRACTM) President (2000-2001) and Board member (1994-1996, 1999-2000, 2002-2007, 2011-2013). 

Publications  

Coauthor: Five to Thrive: Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Math (2022); Coauthor: Classroom-Ready Rich Mathematics Tasks: Engaging Students in Doing Math, Grade K-1 (2021) 

Honors          

Honoree, Mathematically Gifted and Black (2021), Finalist, Louisiana State Teacher of the Year (1997)

Statement

My focus on equity is deeply rooted in the importance of all students receiving high-quality mathematics instructional experiences. NCTM has an established history of providing members with resources and professional learning opportunities that support our mission of advocating for “high-quality mathematics teaching and learning for each and every student.” Implementation of practices such as creating committees and task forces that promote diversity, expanding member offerings via MyNCTM, and offering multiple opportunities for members to actively engage in professional learning have proven successful for NCTM. 

NCTM is poised to take advantage of the lessons we learned in the last three years when we saw a shift in how students learn and how teachers engage in professional learning experiences. To facilitate our mission, we must support all stakeholders with resources to promote access to high-quality mathematics for each and every student. We can update our plan for member engagement and retention to include working intentionally and collaboratively with partner organizations and Affiliates to offer multiple opportunities for members to actively engage in professional learning. 

In addition to webinars and virtual conferences, we can expand our professional learning catalog to include a comprehensive set of virtual offerings that provide opportunities for hybrid engagement at face-to-face conferences and synchronous and asynchronous activities for members to provide opportunities to network during and after the learning experience. We can build on past experiences such as the Call for a Collective Action webinar series and add synchronous and asynchronous opportunities for members to collectively engage in a problem of practice. These additions to our professional learning catalog would increase access to NCTM resources, impact more teachers, and promote a sense of belonging and foster community with members.  Inclusion of multiple opportunities for members to engage with each other would allow us to recruit and retain members and increase our opportunities to provide educators with our exceptional resources.

My belief in the importance of all students receiving access to high-quality mathematics experiences has been the driving force behind my involvement with advocacy, professional organizations, and professional development throughout my career. The work I’ve done to advance mathematics teaching and learning in the math community demonstrates my commitment to our mission. If given the opportunity to serve as President of NCTM, I bring a wealth of experience as a teacher leader to support the mission and beliefs of the Council and would serve as an advocate for teachers as they implement high-quality teaching and learning of mathematics for their students.