A Cobb County teacher is in the running for the nation’s highest honor for teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Kemp Elementary School teacher Dyanna Motes was selected as a 2020 state-level finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) in the Mathematics award category.

PAEMST is the highest recognition that a kindergarten through 12th-grade science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Up to 108 teachers are recognized each year.

The mathematics category includes mathematics, technology, and computer science and the science category includes science and engineering. Georgia-level finalists will be honored at state ceremonies this year.

Up to three Georgia finalists in each award category, Mathematics and Science, are forwarded to a National Selection Committee composed of K–12 teachers, administrators, university professors, and STEM education researchers who will meet to select the PAEMST awardees at the national level. The teachers chosen to be Presidential Awardees will be notified by the White House and will receive a certificate signed by the President of the United States, a trip to Washington D.C. to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.

They will join a cadre of award-winning teachers who can impact STEM education throughout Georgia and across the nation. Since 1983, more than 5,000 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession. Awardees reflect the expertise and dedication of the Nation’s teaching corps, and they demonstrate the positive impact of excellent teachers on student achievement.