Six teachers from Wisconsin have been named finalists for the prestigious Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction announced that Debra Heitman, a fifth-grade math teacher at Coleman Elementary School, and Sheila Kohl, a fifth-sixth grade STEM teacher at West De Pere Intermediate School, are among the finalists. Other finalists include Jacquelynn Bazylewicz, a fifth grade math teacher at Edgewood Elementary in Greenfield, Melissa Sperle, a fifth-grade math teacher at Winskill Elementary School in Lancaster Community Schools, Mary Ellen Kanthack, a sixth-grade science teacher at Brookwood Middle School in Genoa City Joint 2 School District, and Rhonda Veroeven, a sixth-grade science teacher at Glacier Creek Middle School in Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District.

The National Science Foundation administers the award on behalf of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. These teachers were selected as finalists by state committees based on criteria required by the national PAEMST program. Their applications will now be judged at the national level by a committee organized by the National Science Foundation. One awardee in mathematics and one in science will receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation, as well as professional development opportunities, and will be honored at an award ceremony in Washington, D.C. The PAEMST award has been presented annually since 1983 to K-12 STEM teachers from across the country.